Pokemon Quest
by iron.exe
Summary: Follow Kat as she journeys to become the best! Or, at the least, a worthwhile human being. Archive of Gobble's Pokemon Quest from /tg/. Posted with author's permission.
1. Thread 1

All credit goes to Gobble. Pokemon Quest is, well, a quest that was run on /tg/ over the course of about 2 1/2 years. All character decisions were made by anons by vote. I've made minimal edits for readability.

You didn't know your parents. As an orphan, you spent a lot of time on your streets, learning it's lessons. You've never had anyone you can really depend on. That changes today. You just know that you and your Pokemon will be able to depend on each other. Right?

You're a troublemaker. Without any strong authority figures to look up to, you've been living by your own rules. Life's tough, but you're tougher.

You're most prized posession is a flute. It was a donation to the orphanage. Without many friends, you had to do something to pass the time when you weren't causing trouble or fighting. You notice that Pokemon in general seem to like your playing better than most people.

You're ready to start. The Novum City orphanage was surprisingly helpful in getting you your trainers license. You get the impression they were just glad to get rid of you. Nuts to them.

Professor Fir greets you at your arrival. He's expecting you. He has a slightly concerned, apologetic look.

"I know this isn't something you'd like to hear, but I'm afraid there was a robbery. The truck carrying my new lab supplies, as well as the Pokemon and Pokedex I was expecting to come in was hijacked. The driver is alright, but the missing Pokemon concern me." He stops himself laughs nervously, and scratches the back of his neck. "But I'm sure they're fine."

You ask if there are any leads.

"I'm afraid not. The police tell me it happened between Kindle Town and Chloroville. I'm afraid I have a lot to sort out with the police, the shipping company, and my colleague in Kanto who sent the Pokemon, it may be awhile before there's any progress."

"I feel awful. I know today was supposed to be your big day. It's my first day too. I really wish I had more I could do." He thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers. "Hey! I know it's not exactly top of the line, but I do have this."

He produces a nearly ancient looking red plastic device. It's covered in scratches and stickers. "It's my old Pokedex. It's not as fancy as some of the new models they have out today, but I can promise it's sturdy."

Judging from all the scratches scuffs, it's hard to doubt that he is tested that hypothesis thoroughly. You're used to getting handouts though, so this isn't so bad.

"I'll just have to catch my own!"

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea..." He looks at you for a second, sizing you up. "Pokemon can be pretty dangerous if provoked." He seems unsure about condoning that action.

As he's talking, you take the opportunity to pilfer whatever you can. As he's showing all the buttons on the pokedex, you slowly slide in closer to him and take an item out of his pocket. Your hands are quick and nimble. He's too caught up explaining every little scratch and dent and telling a story for each one. It feels like a wallet.

After he wraps up his lesson he starts talking about all the wonders of Pokemon. Whatever. He's looking out the window in his own little world.

This place is still a mess, littered with unpacked boxes. Who knows what might be laying around?

Taking the pokeballs off his desk is easy. This guy seems to be a bit of a scatterbrain. You wonder how someone like that even became a professor.

As you're wondering about that, you notice a small bird Pokemon on a high stack of boxes. You can tell by the way it's reacting that it saw everything. It looks like it's about to start making a lot of noise.

You quickly take out your flute and begin playing a song. The Pokemon in the corner starts flapping it's wings, but quickly stops and cocks it's head to listen.

"Wow, you're pretty good at that!" Professor Fir says. He looks up at the bird in the corner and laughs. "Wow Fletchling. You really enjoy that, huh?" The bird Pokemon doesn't react, it just listens to your song.

Professor Fir looks to you. "That's great, but why did you start playing?" By the way he said 'That's great', you feel that he's not really all that impressed personally, but he's glad Fletchling likes it.

"Pokemon love my music! I wanted to see how Fletchling would react."

You're used to lying to authority figures, but this is actually the truth. Ever since you were a young girl, Pokemon have mostly reacted well to what you play.

"Is that so." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard of Pokemon reacting to certain sounds and music before. That's quiet the talent you have. I hope you're not insulted if I say I'm surprised someone as...tough...as you plays so elegantly."

You're not used to being complimented by adults. It feels pretty nice.

You feel your face get hot. Why'd he have to be so nice? There's no way I could be blushing at something as dumb as that. He's just another authority figure trying to play you into being 'good'. You quickly put a large amount effort to regaining your composure. You politely thank him and leave.

It's early in the morning still, and there's so much to do.

You check the wallet. Not much here for a professor, but you know how to stretch out 'not much'. Beyond that it's just some ID. It's a little disappointing, how boring it is.

He's not THAT much older than you. You were pretty late in getting your license. Getting in trouble all the time will do that. When you finally declared you wanted to be a trainer, the orphanage practically packed your bags. Most other kids were out as soon as they could be, but your run-ins with the law kept you around much longer than anyone wanted.

It's strange. He's so young. He must have been studying his butt off when he was your age. You couldn't imagine how dull that must've been.

You take the cash, but leave the wallet in his mailbox. You may be a thief, but you're not a jerk.

You decide to head to the abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. You know there are certain types that favor places like this.

Before you go hunting in earnest, you figure it's a good idea to arm yourself. You grab a metal pipe, just in case. There's one loose enough to pry off the wall.

With a loud CLANG, it comes loose. You try to look for a good hiding spot to see what comes along, but it seems like the noise attracted something. You see a four legged, black Pokemon come running around the corner to inspect the noise. It seems just as shocked to see you as you do of it. It quickly assumes a defensive stance. It begins growling, embers smolder from it's mouth.

Wow, this is a lot scarier than you imagined. You decide to try calming it with a flute. Niiiiice doggy.

To your surprise, your song makes it hesitate. It's still glaring at you menacingly, but you see less teeth. You slowly take out your Pokedex and scan it. The Pokedex is a bit loud, and some of the speech fizzes out.

"Houndour, the dark Pokemon. *static* Its ominous howl echoes through the area to announce that this is its territory.

To corner prey, *static*."

Hunk of junk.

You play the flute some more. It seems to be growing more and more calm. Now that it's not growling at you, it actually looks pretty young and cute. Not cute enough for you to let go of the pipe quiet yet, but cute.

You don't think the flute would be as effective on older, stronger Pokemon.

The flute has been good to you all day, so you keep blowing. You're starting to get into it a bit more now. The Houndour starts slowly wagging it's tail, and sites down. As you lose yourself in the tune, it starts to lie down. It's falling asleep!

"I guess this is the part where I catch it."

You slowly take out a Pokeball and lightly toss it at Houndour.

The pokeball explodes in a flash of light, and Houndour vanishes! The red and white ball falls to the floor. It wiggles once, twice, then clicks.

Yes! You realize you were holding your breath as you watched and exhale. You're practically shaking. You wonder what you'll call it.

You make a mental note that you'll call it Devon, and nod to yourself in affirmation. Devon is a nice name. You hope it's a boy.

Even though you know it isn't, the pokeball feels heavier in your hand. You and Devon are going to show the world that you're a force to be reckoned 're going to be great friends, you just know it!

It'll be nice to have a friend.


	2. Thread 2

Previously:

You began your Pokemon journey! We learned a lot about you. You grew up in an orphanage, never knowing your parents. You're a troublemaker and no stranger to stealing to get by. Your most prized posession is a flute that people seem indifferent to, but Pokemon seem to react to. You just got your trainers license and visited the local pokelab. Unfortunately the truck delivering the new Pokemon (and the lab supplies) was stolen. You stole a wallet and 4 pokeballs from Professor Fir, and set off to catch your first Pokemon in an abandoned factory. Using your flute, you were able to calm Houndour down and catch you. You decided to name it Devon.

Status:

You have 3 Pokeballs left and a small amount of money you stole from Professor Fir, a backpack, a metal pipe, a flute, an old busted up Pokedex, and all the wits, grit, and experience a street urchin should have.

Pokemon:

Devon: A Houndour that likes your flute playing. It's currently asleep and in a pokeball.

It's you and Devon against the world!

You're currently in an abandoned factory. It's about mid-day. You've had a pretty interesting morning and now you have your very first Pokemon!

You decide to take Houndour- err, Devon, out of it's Pokeball. After a brief flash of light he appears in front of you. It slow begins waking up and checking out his surroundings. It cock's it's head to the side and looks at you, waiting.

You decide to introduce yourself. Might as well be polite and get off to a good start.

You put on a smile.

"Hi Devon! From today on, I'm going to be your trainer! I know we're going to get along just fine!" After the words leave your mouth, you remember all the cheery introductions you had to potential foster parents at the orphanage. Now you know how it feels to be on the opposite side of that. At least you're being sincere.

"My name is" You decide your name isn't important. What's important is that you raise this little guy...err...girl..Pokemon right!

As you're staring off into space pondering on this, you notice a small bit out movement through the window in the distance. The windows are filthy and half covered in wood, dust, and other obstructions. You can't tell much, it's just brown (maybe?) and small and fairly fast.

Might as well check it out. You hitch up your bag over your shoulder, pick up our pipe, and head outside to get a closer look.

Devon follows within a few paces and stares up at you the entire time. He looks a little funny, taking all those rapid steps and not looking where he's going.

You spot a small, brown, fluffy pokemon with 4 legs, large wide ears, and a poofy tail. It clearly seems upset and scared. You get the impression that it's lost. It's so upset that it hasn't noticed you yet.

You take out your Pokedex. Knowledge is power! You aim carefully and listen close to what it has to say.

"Tentacruel, the explosion Pokemon. Nidodoofs tend to hunt in packs of 20,000 volts, and spelunk out fresh stardust on Tuesdays. " The lights flicker slightly and it freezes up.

Somehow you don't think that was accurate. Before you have time to kick yourself about the missed chance to swipe that new model the other week, you see that it's noticed you and Devon.

Devon is starting at it, tail straight, legs low, eyes unmoving.

You decide to play the flute. It's been great all day, why mess with success? You begin playing a calming tune. It's one of your favorites, and always reminded you of a warm summer day.

Suddenly you see a lot of movement coming from the abandoned factory. As you're playing, a pack of levitating, metal spheres with magnets on their sides start slowly pouring out of the windows. They seem to be shooting small, harmless bits of electricity between themselves. They're heading towards you.

A young girl with fiery, bright red hair comes running from around the other side of the building. Even though you're decently small for your age, (thanks orphanage food), you still figure you're a little taller than her. She's yelling something, but with the noise of the flute and the static from the levitating Pokemon, it's hard to hear. The metal Pokemon turn around with a speedy aggressiveness and begin closing on her.

In the commotion, the fluffy brown Pokemon bolts for the woods.

You curse to yourself and turn to girl, who is backed into a corner. Every time she tries to step out, electricity explodes at her feet and she backs in further. They look pretty worked up.

There better be a reward for this. You figure you could easily swing your hardest with the pipe without worrying about causing serious injuries.

Your mind races for your next move.

"Devon! Attack!" You point dramatically at the swarm of floating electric balls. Wait, you know this one. Magna something, right?

Before you can finish that thought, Devon takes off after them like a bullet. He's fast. He leaps on the back on one and kicks, sending it flying into a wall, hard. As soon as he lands he spits a small firey ember at another one. It impacts with a loud TING as the orb spins out and hits the ground. The swarm turns on him. They look as angry as a metal floating ball can look.

You notice a wooden stick close by. Looks like it has some heft to it.

You realize you're supposed to be giving him orders.

You exchange the pipe for the branch. As the pipe hits the ground, it makes loud, hollow sounds.

A sudden burst of inspiration hits you harder than a bottle of stolen apicot wine. "Devon! Use Roar!"

Devon bounces away from the swarm and turns to face them. He digs his paws in deep and lets out a loud, terrifying roar. The flying orbs start hurrying away with haste, occasionally bumping into each other.

As you approach the girl and Devon, there's a sudden rustling behind you. The first Magna-thingy that Devon smashed into rises up from the grass. If you were any other person, you wouldn't have time to react, but you spent a lot of time on the streets, where being fast is everything. It's eye flies open as it regains it's senses. From this close, you can see your reflection in it.

You fish a pokeball from your pocket quickly. At this distance there's no throwing it. You thrust the pokeball right into it, but it's also pretty quick and manages to send a bolt of electricity right up your arm. You recoil at the pain.

But it wasn't enough. The pokemon vanishes in a flash of light and you hear that same sound that it made on Devon. The ball drops to the ground and wiggles once. Twice. thriceand clicks.

What are you going to name it?

You decide to call it Zappy Dan.

The small redhead shoots up. Her face turns the same shade as her hair. "What are you doing! Now Eevee got away!" Her skinny arms flail wildly. It would be comical if she weren't directing it at you.

"Excuse me? I just saved your punk ass!" You get right in her face. There's no verbal threat, but the body language makes it clear that you're not afraid to twist her scrawny butt into a pretzel. Your lean over slightly and glare right in her eyes.

"I-I-I'm sorry." She shrinks back, breaks eye contact, and looks at her feet. "Eevee is my Pokemon. He ran away and I have to catch him."

Part of your routine on meeting new people is to size them up. You can smell money on her. Not rich maybe, but upper-middle class. Nice clothes, designer bag, and the type of soft expressions that says she hasn't had to deal with being without.

"Why did he run away from you?" You ask.

She brushes her short skirt as she regains her composure. She looks a little relieved that you've taken a softer tone. "Eevee thought I was upset with him, but I'm not. I was think thinking about something else and I..." She pauses before continuing. "I guess I got a little upset and started acting out. Now Eevee ran away."

"Did you hurt him?" The thought fills you with a deep, consuming anger, but she fails to notice in her initial response.

"What? No! I'd never do anything like that!" She's offended. "How could you even sug-" She's suddenly very aware of the stick you're carrying around, and how Devon is mimicking your body language against her. Her tone softens "I'd never do that" she softly insists.

"W-Why were you carrying that pipe anyway? What are you doing out here?"

"We can talk about that later, we need to find Eevee." You grab her by the wrist and start running in the direction Eevee went.

She struggles to keep up. "You're really going to help me?" There's a mixture of relief, suspicion, and disbelief in her tone.

You'll see if Devon can track Eevee's scent, but first you want to establish where this is going. She's helpless without you.

"Yes. Come on, let's go!" You see relief wash over her faceand you suppress a smirk. This is going to be easy. You can play her like a fiddle.

You reach the spot where you lost sight of Eevee before he disappeared into the brush.

"Devon." The little houndour looks up at you. "See if you can track Eevee's scent." You look to the girl, and make a gesture with your hand for her to give you something. She looks confused for a moment, then with a sudden "Oh!" she produces a small collar with a bell.

"This is Eevee's collar. I took it off shortly before he ran away" she explains.

Devon smells it for a few moments, then picks a direction. Occasionally he stops to stick his nose in the ground, but he's going at a steady walking pace.

"That's a nice houndour. He has a nice tail" She looks at you nervously, trying to read your response.

She breaks the silence again. "I'm Robin, by the way."

"Robin." You state. She looks at you, expecting a follow up. "No. My name is Robin too" you say.

Her face lights up "Wow! What a coincidence!" Now she's smiling at you, trying to keep pace as you take up the main path and she struggles to get through all the small branches. "My dad named Robin after Red Robin, some sort of comic character or something. He likes red, he's a fire gym leader."

She's putty in your hands.

"Red Robin is kind of a stretch I guess, but my mom shot down all the other names he had. What do your parents do?"

Jeez. She's spilling her life story and expecting you to do the same. This better be worth it.

"I never knew my parents. I'm an orphan."

She looks at you for a second, from the expression she gives it seems like she wants to keep things cheerful. She looks like she's smart enough not to give you another of the thousand pity looks you get when you tell her that. "Oh. That's cool."

You glance at her.

"N-n-no! I don't mean it like that!" She puts her arms out defensively. "I just mean that I don't care!"

You stop walking and keep staring at her "I mean, I care, but it's not a big deal! Oh, this isn't coming out right."

You stop glaring and give her a smile that says it's fine. You get her meaning.

"So you still haven't told me the whole story with Eevee."

She stops fidgeting so much. "Yeah. Right. Well, I mentioned my dad is a fire gym leader, right? He's really into it. Obsessed, even. When I got Eevee, all he ever said was 'when are you going to evolve it into a flareon?'" She brushes aside a branch. "It was never even a discussion. It was just assumed. So I came to Novum to buy this." She takes a small red stone out of her pocket. "It's a fire stone. It can evolve Eevee into a flareon." She brushes a branch away, more aggressively. "But I didn't consider Eevee's feelings either. I just wanted to make Dad happy." She whacks a branch out of her face. "I took off Eevee's collar and told him it was time for him to grow up." Her voice fails for a second. "I never saw him so hurt. He ran away when he saw the stone."

"He's out here all alone." She turns to you, tears in her eyes." What did I do?"

She throws the stone.

You go pick up the stone. "Don't worry so much. We'll find Eevee and things will work out."

She practically bursts into to tears. She moves it hug you. You've never seen such a pathetic look on someone's face before.

You embrace the big crybaby. Even you're not that hard. You feel your chest becoming wet with her tears. Eventually she stops sobbing, and when she looks up, she says "It's getting dark."

It is getting dark. You've been in the woods plenty, and know that it's not a good place to wander at night.

You decide to setup camp. Robin meekly agrees.

You gather up some firewood and have Devon light a small campfire. You're no stranger to this.

Robin looks inexperienced, but she has a fancy tent in her pack and begins putting it together with ease. She's following the instructions perfectly.

"Devon was bred." she says as she's reading the instructions. You look over to her.

"Houndours are native to this region, but you can tell by his coat that his parents were definitely from Kalos. He's got to be bred from there."

She really knows her stuff.

"How do you know all that?"

She smiles proudly. "I'm an only child. Dad really wants me to lead his gym when he retires. I don't mean to brag, but I know pretty much everything there is to know about fire Pokemon." She finishes setting up her tent. It's small, but looks pretty sturdy.

Devon walks over to you. He looks pretty tired, but he's constantly looking to you like he's expecting something.

You smile, a little embarrassed. "Do you have any food in that bad?" You casually scratch Devon behind the ears, and he wags his tail.

Robin quickly opens up her bag and takes out some canned food and a can opener.

"Don't think I'll forget about you, Devon!" She takes out some poffins for him. "Eevee loves these. I hope you do too."

You take the poffins from her. Gently brushing against her hand while you do so.

She doesn't seem to notice. She's smiling at Devon as he sits down, eye's never leaving the food. You start feeding him and he eagerly takes the food as you give it to him.

Robin starts preparing the canned food. Before she opens them up, she reads the entire ingredient list and instructions. She nods to herself, satisfied, and heats it up. She seems like a bit of a nerd.

You finish feeding Devon and help yourself to one of the cans she prepared and lean against a log near the fire. It's nice and toasty on your feet. It's time to turn in for the night.

Crap. You don't have a tent. Or a sleeping bag.

Robin begins to realize this too. She laughs nervously. "You could sleep in my tent if you want. It'll be a little snug though."

You don't need her pity. Besides, you've done this before. Now you have an awesome fire Pokemon too.

"That's fine" you tell her. She shrugs and says "OK, stay warm!" She crawls into her tent.

The fire is still pretty toasty, and Devon makes an excellent, warm body pillow. He occasionally licks your face, but eventually settles down and begins to fall asleep.

You let yourself fall into the warm fuzzy darkness of unconsciousness.

Suddenly that comfortable feeling is ripped from your mind as your hear a muffled voice ask, "Robin?"

Ugh. "Yeah?"

"Do you think Eevee is warm?"

You let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sure he is. He looked like he had a lot of fur."

Beautiful silence invades the camp once more. You're eyelids drift closed, and begin to- "Robin?"

You keep your eyes shut in defiance. "What!"

There's a pause, then the muffled voice answers. "Thanks."

That's the last thing you remember as you're finally allowed to dream.

You dream about becoming a Pokemon master! Literally.

It's vague, but you're at the Pokemon League. You should out an attack, and your nebulous Pokemon carries it through beautifully, defeating your undefined enemy.

The crowd goes wild! They love you! You see signs in the crowd saying "we believe in you" and "Go Robin!" Wait, Robin isn't your name. It's- Your thought it cut short. Fans crowd all around. You're signing autographs left and right.

Then they start to bring down the trophy. It shines brightly in the sun. Huh, the people bringing it to are scantily clad. That doesn't seem right. The league must've hired swimsuit models for carrying the cup. Well, no complaints here. The accept the cup and a congratulatory kiss on the cheek from a hot guy on your left, hot babe on your right. Both lean in to kiss you on the cheek. You feel a little warm and fuzzy as you're squished between both of them.

Oh. They're not done yet. You get another peck from both of them. That tickles~. They're pressing in closer to you now. The kisses begin to become open mouth, and hands begin to roam. The crowd has completely faded away. All that exists is the three of you. You softly moan as the woman starts licking your neck. The man hands mans roam over your body as you feel him press against you from behind. Hard.

Your hands wander over them too. The man is licking the back of your neck now. That tickles so good. You shiver in delight and your eyes lazily roll around as you give in to the feeling. You're already losing control. The woman's wandering tongue starts creeping back up your body onto your face. Well, having your face licked isn't as good, but whatever.

She begins licking your nose. Again, this really isn't as good. Actually, it's getting a bit gross. She's slobbering a lot.

Your eyes burst open. Devon is slobbering all over your face! Ugh!

Wait, something is licking the back of your neck too.

You slowly begin to turn over. You're still a bit groggy, but as your brain shifts gears and gathers itself up from being a gooey puddle of hormones, you start to wander about what you're about to face.

You're body slowly shifts into position, you feel relief when you see it is indeed Eevee. He's staring at you. He seems to be waiting to see how you react.

You decide to try the flute.

"Hey buddy! You ruined an awesome dream. Yes you did" Your hands slowly reach into your pocket for the flute. "How ya been. Look, Robin understands she hurt you before so go easy on her okay? Wanna hear a song?"

Eevee doesn't react.

As you slowly wrestle the flute of your pocket, the fire stone also falls out.

Eevee leaps to all fours, takes a defensive stance, and bolts.

You take chase. You have plenty of practice running through obstacles. You're usually the one being chased though.

Still you're having a tough time keeping up. Eevee is just the slightest bit too fast, too nimble. On a better day you're sure you could catch him, but you're just not on your game this morning. You're a little uncoordinated, a little disheveled.

You keep running. You feel the air burn in your lungs, and branches scratch at you all over. Your clothes, already not the best, are not well suited for this. You're confident they won't be presentable after this, even by your standards. One branch hits your right on your arm where Zappy Dan got you. It stings like hell.

Your perseverance pays off though. You're just barely closing in. Your burst through the bush and find Eevee cornered at the end of a cliff overlooking a river.

You explain to Eevee, between breaths, that Robin regrets what she did, and she won't force him to do anything he won't want to.

Eevee looks at the cliff, and back at you. He seems undecided.

You tell him how she cried yesterday. She even roped you until helping to find him.

Eevee slowly approaches and gets close enough to smell you. You realize that even after all that, there are still some tear stains on your shirt. Eevee decides he believes you and leaps into your arms.

"Come on. Let's get you back."

And that's the end of the second thread. It's really interesting to go back and see how Gobble started out and evolved as a writer.


	3. Thread 3

Your muscles ache, but your arm aches worse. You're body is covered in scratches and your clothes are rattier and dirtier than ever.

Eevee has already fallen asleep in your arms. He looks like he's had an even rougher time. There are clumps of fur missing and bits of dirt all over him.

As you start making your way back to the campsite, you see Devon has followed you. He's panting, but looks generally content, like you just played a fun game.

It occurs to you that you could easily take this Eevee and sell it. You haven't directly interacted with any of the major criminal organizations, but you're confident you could easily get in touch with the right people to make it happen.

Robin is wearing very comfy looking silk pajamas. She's brushing her teeth. She barely looks awake and it doesn't even seem like she noticed you were gone. She doesn't seem like a morning person. She spits, sputters, and chokes when she spots you and Eevee approaching.

Eevee suddenly wakes up and leaps from your arms to hers. She squeezes him tightly as he makes a satisfied, high pitched squeal. After a moment, Robin turns to you.

"Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough! How can I ever repay you?" She looks you up and down, finally noticing the condition you and your clothes are. "It looks like you had a rough time. I really am grateful."

You ask to keep the fire stone.

She beams with a smile. She's holding Eevee up in both hands and staring into his eyes. She doesn't even break eye contact. She just says "Huh? Oh sure! I don't need it." and nods. She returns to making baby noises at Eevee.

That was pretty easy. You wander if she'll give you anything else.

You need new clothes. You're barely presentable because of what you had to do to get Eevee. Robin readily agrees. Her eyes light up as she realizes this means you're both going to go shopping together. "Speaking of clothes," she puts Eevee's collar back up. He's happy to have it.

You pack up the camp and decide to head back into town. You know all the best shops and which ones have the best and worst security.

It's time to go shopping! Outside you play it cool, but on the inside, you can't help but have a little thrill. This is a pretty rare thing for you. It's not a treat, it's a delicacy.

The food analogy is appropriate, both of your stomachs growl in unison. You subtly hint that you should get food somewhere after this. Before your get to the part where you suggest it's on her, she offers to pay. You're not sure if that's gratitude, pity for the poor orphan girl, or that she's just hungry. She nods in excitement and asks where you want to go shopping.

You figure that you have a lot of traveling ahead, and decide on something practical for traveling. As you're thinking about that, you start to question to yourself what your next move will be, there aren't any gyms in Novum Town.

Before you get too lost in thought, you arrive at the store you know has some solid traveling clothes and gear. You've never had much reason to go here before, so you're silently relieved that the staff won't be following you around to make sure you don't steal anything.

You both head over to the clothing section. It's way in the back of the store. Robin puts on a serious face and carefully studies each article of clothing and their tags.

You finally find something that has everything you need for traveling. Sturdy material, small pockets, form fitted for things like compasses, flints, and other tools, and adjustable for both warm and cold weather, to a degree.

It's a little tight in some places, but that's part of what you wanted too. Here comes the fun part! You grab one of the survival knives and a couple small adjustments. Specifically loosening up the top a bit to show a little cleavage.

"Robin! What are you doing?" Whispers Robin. Oh yeah, you told her that was your name too. You take her clothes and do the same thing. When you're done you just wordlessly present them to her. She takes a moment to realize the intent behind the modifications, but turns bright red and giggles while covering her mouth.

"That's so bad!"

You beam with pride. You're bad. You're the baddest.

"Guess you're buying those then." A clerk says as you bring them to the register.

You remember you still have that survival knife.

You decide to put it back. Robin saw you use it so it'd be too suspicious.

You decide to get changed before you leave. Your old clothes are pretty crappy, even by your standards, but your new Backpack is pretty roomy, so you stuff them in. You never know, right?

You and Robin head over to a local greasy spoon. A wrinkled old woman who smells of smoke and poor life choices walks over and gruffly asks "What'll it be?"

You ask Robin what she recommends. She's absorbed in reading the entire menu, place-mats, and memorabilia on the wall. "Oh. I don't know. I need more time to decide."

When the waitress comes around, you declare that you want pancakes. Lots of them. An absurd amount. Robin looks over to you and stutters that she also wants pancakes.

They start coming in, plate by plate. You know how to pack away free food when it comes your way. You dig in and don't stop. Robin eats a decent amount, trying to keep up, but she's clearly out of her league.

As you both rest, bellies full, feeling sluggest, you feel decidedly less sexy than you did when you first put this outfit on. Robin looks over and asks you what your favorite type of Pokemon is.

You tell her that you don't have a particular favorite type. Whatever wins is best, and sticking to one type is just limiting yourself. She nods and looks at you with bright, naive eyes. "I totally agree!" She's starting to sound a little too eager to please. You're not sure how to feel about that. She looks down and away and says "but if anyone asks, it's fire."

she pays the bill. You're able to lean over and catch the price before it's taken away. It's a little less than you expected for how much you ate.

As you both exit the restaurant, you think about your next move. Before you're able to come up with anything, you slammed into by an unseen force.

"Robin! Are you ok?" Robin heads over to you to help you up. You see a young boy picking himself a few feet away. You can tell at a glance by the pokeballs at his belt and pokedex in his hand that he's a trainer.

"What the hell kid? Are you fucking blind!" You begin to yell. The kid jumps up to his feet.

"Look who's talking! You should watch out for people on the sidewalk you pig-headed goon!"

The mouth on this kid. If that's the way he wants to play it, fine by you. You launch into a tirade of profanities. At first Robin is glaring at the kid, nodding and visually backing you up, but she soon starts shrinking and turning red as an escalating series of vulgarities launch back and forth. She covers her ears and looks nervously at the gathering crowd.

"...SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU'LL TASTE IT!" You finish shouting.

"Fine! I was going to get my first badge at this towns gym, but first I'm going to teach you a lesson! I challange you to a Pokemon battle!"

"Shows what you know! This town doesn't even have a gym. I'll be glad to kick your ass on behalf of Novum though."

The kid loses his composure for a second and grabs his head in frustration "Oh man! I thought this was going to be great practice before I tried at Kindleville" He quickly remembers how mad he is at you and strikes an angry pose.

"Fine!"

You both head over to the park across the street.

"Piplup, go!" He throws a Pokeball and a small blue flightless bird appears. It looks pretty cute.

"Zappy Dan, I choose you!" You throw a soft, underhanded toss. Once it lands and Zappy Dan comes you, you decide it needs a little something else, so you pose triumphantly. It'd be perfect if you only had a billowing cape or a stylish scarf.

Before you let the match get underway, you take out your Pokedex and scan the twerp's Pokemon.

"Piplup, the *static* Pokemon. When it's health is low, it's water moves become stronger."

Wow, that was surprisingly helpful.

The kid yells over to you "Hey! Are we going to start this or what? Piplup is my only Pokemon, so it's gotten 100% of my training. We're going to trounce you!"

Humiliating this kid in a battle is all the insult he needs. With relief, you remember that electric types almost always know Thundershock.

"Zappy Dan! Use Thundershock!"

"Piplup! Bubblebeam, now!"

Zappy Dan isn't the picture of speed, but somehow it manages to move faster. A small bolt of electricity arcs from Zappy Dan and is greeted by Piplup's barely starting bubblebeam.

The bubbles are all popped as the thundershock rips through the bubblebeam. It seems they gave Piplup a small buffer. He's struck and goes sliding back, but he isn't out yet.

"Zappy Dan, use thundershock again!" You're really getting into this. Your anger has been replaced by concentration and determination. This is what it's all about.

Zappy Dan's magnets spin as he throws another thundershock. He leans into it and gives it a visibly strong effort. You remember that Devon beat Zappy Dan up yesterday as you notice a few scratches and bumps on him.

The twerp shouts for Piplupto use a move called brine. He puts on a shit eating-grin and your confidence wavers for a second.

Thundershock strikes Piplup again, but he's braced for it and attacks back with a power pulse of water. Zappy Dan is sent flying into a rock and you hear a loud *TONG* before he hits the ground.

Piplup looks like he's barely hanging on, but at least he's standing.

You shout out to Zappy Dan "Come on, get up! You're not going to lose to a fucking penguin, are you?"

Zappy Dan slowly levitates up. Sparkling electricity flies all around him.

"Thundershock! Let's finish this!" You point dramatically at Zappy Dan's target. Piplup is breathing heavily, and prepares another counter attack.

The kid shouts once more. He looks frustrated that the match hasn't ended yet. "Piplup! Brine again!" He shouts so hard his eyes are closed.

The thundershock slams through Piplups brine before it has a chance to really start going. Piplup is sent sprawling backwards and hits the ground. He isn't getting up.

The match is over, you won. You retrieve Zappy Dan, as he's not looking all that stable.

"You did it!" Robin shouts beside you. She's jumping up and down in excitement.

You raise your hand to give Robin a high five! That was awesome! Robin clumsily attempts to meet your hand but misses wildly and falls into you. You catch her before you both fall and let her try again. This time it connects, but barely. She laughs, embarrassed.

The kid retrieves Piplup. He keeps his face hidden but you can tell by his body language that he's upset.

As you're looking over at him, his eyes slowly move from the ground up to your face, until they meet yours.

You're a little impressed and a little insulted that they didn't linger on any of your outfits modifications.

You continue to look at him expectantly. You know that he knows what you want. After what feels like a few brief seconds to you, but probably an eternity for him, he breaks eye contact and quietly says "Sorry."

Damn straight! Still you should both probably go to the Pokemon center after that. You mouth "Come on" as you cock your head in that direction. He looks up at you with a blank expression for a second, then smiles, getting your meaning.

The three of you walk to the Pokemon center together.

You take your Pokedex out of your pocket again and start playing with it. You scroll through your spotted Pokemon and see if there's any useful information. It freezes occasionally and many parts are unreadable or otherwise useless.

"What a hunk of crap" You mutter to yourself quietly. The kid takes the bait. "Wow, sure is! Did you find it in a museum?"

Sure didn't take him long to get his lip back.

"Professor Alpine's pokedex are way better" He brags. You guess that's who gave him his starter too.

Robin looks over and cheerfully says "It gave useful information on Piplup. It can't be all that bad."

The pokemon center has a bit of a line. As you take your number, you fish into your pocket for your trainer ID as you remember it doubles as your credit card. You also have the paper cash you took from Professor Fir. You notice that the little digital display on your trainer card looks sizably bigger than it did before. Especially since it was a 0.

The kid looks up to your card. "You were broke? What a rip!" He crosses his arms.

Robin see's the confused expression on your face. She chimes in, "You two didn't set a limit, so the default bet was half of your money."

"How did our cards know we battled? They seems a little freaky" you comment to Robin.

She perks up at the chance to explain what she knows. "Oh! That's actually pretty simple, you see, there's-"

Oh wow. Those are some pretty big words she's using. You nod your head and pretend to follow along. You never spent much time in school and this is one of the few times you regret it. At least you know that if you play things right, you can make some very quick cash for doing something you were going to do anyway, battle! You can't help but smirk wickedly at the prospect of quick money. You glance over and see that the kid seems to be following along. That's embarrassing.

"...and that's all there is to it!" Robin finishes. You were able to at least gather that that's all the cards keep track of.

As your nodding to indicate your understanding, you see a sign in the back that says "Free showers for trainers, food extra."

You also see a typing chart and some educational pamphlets.

"Pokemon centers have free showers? Why did I not know of this!" Hot, working showers aren't something you're used to. The orphanage had a busted boiler most of the time, so you're used to taking turns in a tub filled with hose water or dipping in a lake when you were out in the woods

Robin explains: "Pokecenters vary from town to town. All of them offer free healing. Most offer free food, lodging, beds, or other services to trainers try to bring them in. Trainers are encouraged to shop at Pokemon centers and heal their pokemon often. The Pokemon League brings in a lot of money, and successful trainers spend pretty lavishly. If I made that kind of money I'd definitly invest. I have a great profolio plan actually. First, take 20% and-"

She's lost you again. At least you understood that first part.

You decide to grab the pamphlets focusing on the cold hard facts. Who cares about what some celebrity has to say about their breakfast or whatever.

Your number comes up and you take your Pokemon to the nurse. She smiles and puts the balls on a tray, sliding them into a big machine with fancy lights.

The clerk over at the other desk waves you over and you pay for the pamphlets. They're pretty cheap, which is always nice.

The nurse reads something off on the computer and tells you it will be about an hour.

The kid is up next. He gives his Pokemon to the nurse and gets the same reply.

You decide to spend some time chatting with Robin and the twerp.

"What's your name kid?"

"Junior!" He smiles proudly. The name certainly fits.

You ask him what he's been up to.

"I came here to try for a badge. I'm from Kindleville. The gym leader is really tough! I wanted to challenge him, but he said I needed more Pokemon before he'd even accept."

Robin's ears perk up. He is talking about her dad after all.

"I wanted to prove I could win with just Piplup. So we came here to get a badge to shove in his smelly face."

You're a bit torn. You almost admire how he's sticking to his ideals on this, but the truth is, it's not that realistic.

"I don't think that's such a great idea. Zappy Dan was able to take on Piplup because of the type advantage. Dan was already hurt before the fight, but it wasn't enough. You need to hedge your bets kid."

He looks like he's about to argue, you cut him off before he can, "It's not because Piplup is weak. He took a beating. You just can't ask so much of one Pokemon. It's not fair to him."

You're feeling pretty sagely as he lets your words sink in. You're not used to people listening like that. You decide to break silence with a joke.

"Now, what do you say we celebrate our match with a nice, hot, steamy shower." Your run your finger over his chest and he freezes up. That was fun.

Robin stifles a giggle, and you turn to her. She thinks you're playing a game. You are, but you don't remember inviting her to be in on it. This is going to be more fun. You lean in close and whisper in her ear, "Just kidding. You and I are going to go celebrate ourselves." You make sure it's just barely loud enough for the twerp to hear, and then lead her by the hand to the showers. For the umpteenth time since you've met her, her face is as red as her hair.

The kid sits on the coach trying to collect his brains.

"Did you see the look on his face? I thought he was going to have a stroke!"

A sudden wave of clarity washes over her as she pieces it together. She looks embarrassed to have looked so embarrassed. "Oh! It was a joke. I mean, of course it was a joke. That was great!" She starts to giggle. "You're so bad!" She teases you. "How are you so confident doing stuff like that? It's so embarrassing!"

You two take a nice long hot shower. She hides around the corner in on of the half stalls, but you grew up in a crowded orphanage. Privacy was never big. Besides, you don't really care right now about anything other than the clean, warm water.

As you're just basking in the glory of it all, Robin leans over the barricade separating her from the open area you're in, careful to avert her eyes. "Hey Robin?" You really need to come up with a nickname system or something.

"Yeah?" You answer back.

"What are you planning on doing next?"

"I figure I'll head to Kindletown. See if I can catch a new Pokemon to balance things out for my team, then train up before trying to go for my first badge." That sounds like a solid plan. With your two new Pokemon already, your first battle (and victory), and your stylish yet practical outfit, you're feeling pretty good about it.

Robin keeps making noises like she wants to say something, but she can't seem to actually get the words out.

"Do you want to come with me?" You casually ask over to her as you grab a towel and start drying off.

She's still in her little stall. Talk about modest. Even through the wall, you can tell she's fidgeting. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't want to slow you down. And I still have a lot to do in Novum."

You remember her telling you that she came to Novum for a fire stone. She's probably not up to facing up to her dad about Eevee not becoming a flareon.

"Don't think we're even for Eevee yet. You still owe me, so you're coming with me to give me pointers on beating your dad."

"Oh, I guess that's only fair." She stammers for a second. You can practically hear the gears turn in her head. This girl is so smart but so stupid sometimes. She peers over the stall door and looks you in the eyes. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let's travel to Kindletown together!" She sounds much more confident now. That confidence is replaced by a look of pure embarrassment as she realizes she's staring at you while you dry off. She ducks back behind the stall and you toss her a towel.

You both get dress and exit the showers. The nurse waves you over and gives you your Pokemon. The kid is nowhere to be found.


	4. Thread 4 parts 1 and 2

You're feeling squeaky clean and full of energy. Your slightly revealing yet practical clothes cling tightly but not uncomfortably. Robin is wearing a similar outfit on her smaller frame. She shakes off the remains of her flustered discomfort and returns to her cheerful self as she absorbs the growing activity in the Pokemon center. Looks like your two just barely beat the rush. Devon and Zappy Dan's pokeballs hang by your belt. Junior, the mouthy twerp with the Piplup seems to have left while you and Robin were taking a shower together.

You decide to do some multi-tasking. The clerk tells you that the little twerp (not her words) bought as many pokeballs as he could afford and hurried out the door. He must've taken what you said to heart.

It's probably a good idea to study what you can about moves and types. You've been dealing with things as they come up and doing a decent job of it so far, but you know you won't always be so lucky. You should be prepared. Don't those Junior Ranger nerds have some sort of motto about that?

You and Robin manage to grab two spots on a couch away from the entrance before the crowd starts getting too big. From there you start combing through all different pamphlets and booklets. You're also able to gleam some of the moves your Pokemon probably know. Robin seems pretty useful in clarifying some of the vague or complicated concepts. After awhile your head starts to get a little fuzzy and find yourself no longer absorbing anything you read or hear Robin say.

This was a good idea. These booklets have a lot of the information your Pokedex seems to be missing, or just plain wrong about. There's also a particularly helpful guide the different types of Pokemon around town. Novum seems to be trying to attract trainers

There's a cave nearby with Zubats, Wubats, Raltz', and Geodudes. The pamphlet also mentioned that deeper in the cave there are Onix, Machoke, Sneasels, and even some Gibbles. The deepest parts of the cave have some underground ponds and rivers. There's a lengthy warning that only seasoned spelunkers with experience and proper gear should venture deep into it.

There's a field area off the path known for Caterpies, Weedles, Sevipers, Ratatas, Budew, Nidorans, Pidgeys and Murkrow. The pamphlets say that Pokemon from the other surrounding areas tend to cross through the area on occasion. Who knows what you'll find.

There's an old shrine on a hilltop little out of the way. The surrounding area is said to have Rhyhorns, Meditites, and Sneasels. The shrine itself is rumored to be haunted, but you don't believe in that sort of thing, right?

There's a series of rivers and ponds that run alongside the main path between Novum and Kindletown. They have Staryus, Horseas, Magikarp, Slowbros, Woopers, and Corsola. They dot the path along the entire route. It's good to know there's plenty of fresh water on the way.

Robin also points out that it's a migratory time for a lot of bird Pokemon. You might see some flocks passing by overhead.

You figure the cave system probably has everything you need. The prospect of a Zubat sounds pretty cool. Although maybe you'll take visit the ponds and rivers after that too. A water type would be good against the fire gym leader.

But first, you need to make sure you have everything you need.

You get 2 more pokeballs, 2 potions, an antidote, and a paralysis heal. The clerk is enthusiastic in showing you what a new trainer needs. At first you're suspicious that she might be trying to get you to spend more money than you need to, but you're good at picking on that sort of thing, and figure she's just trying to be genuinely helpful.

After you ring everything up, you're feeling like your regular broke self. That extra money you got from Professor Fir helped, you doubt you could afford everything without it.

Robin is still sticking her nose deep in the pamphlets and charts. The clerk is starting to get a little swamped as the afternoon rush starts piling in.

As the Pokemon center starts to get a bit crowded, you start squeezing between people on your way to the door. This seems like a golden opportunity, crowds like this are your element, your favored terrain.

You subtly adjust your top so the neckline is a little lower, and 'accidentally' brush up real close to an older gentleman and let your hands easily slip into his pockets. Bingo! there's a fat wallet. You look up coyly at him. "Sorry mister!" You put on your best pouty face, but you see that's not where his eyes are focused. About time somebody noticed!

An older woman, presumably his wife, glares at him with a terrifying but silent fury. You make your escape before she approaches and grabs him by the ear. Someone got in trou-ble~!

You grab Robin and strike out towards the caves. You're feeling excited for a Zubat would be a good addition to your team. The pamphlet classified them as poison and flying, which according to your type chart, would cover a lot of the weakness on your team. Who knows what else you'll find.

The walk is still a few hours long. The first part of the trip follows along the main road. There isn't all that much foot or vehicle traffic (who wants to come to Novum from Kindletown?) but you do see the occasional traveler. The bright sun is lazily conceding the sky to a thin overcast, but it's still plenty warm out.

You decide to spend the time over teasing Robin. She's just so helpless that you can't resist. You stretch out casually as you're walking to bait her in. There it is, she can't help but notice your slightly more exposed cleavage now.

"Didn't get a good enough look in the shower?" You smirk

"Ah! No! I mean, yes. I mean I wasn't looking! You're a girl!"

"So you'd peak at me if I was a boy?~ How perverted! Besides, if we're both girls, it's OK to look, right?"

She looks decidedly uncomfortable. That increasingly familiar shade of red returns to her face. As she's looking away, you casually take out the wallet and look through it. There's a decent stack of bills, and a few items of ID. Huh, some sort of coded card for somewhere called Silph Co. You stuff the cash and ID into your pocket and ditch the wallet. Robin is trying her best to look at the sky, the trees, and anything else that isn't your direction. Her hands fidget nervously.

The second half of the trip gets a little rougher as you venture from the main road. The traffic seems to evaporate to nothing as you get closer to your desination. There are supposed to be a handful of cave entrances. When you spot one, you figure it's probably as good as any.

Robin starts to hesitate. "Maybe I should stay here."

"You're not scared, are you?" You tease her. She doesn't say anything, but looks down at the ground. "Come on, it'll be fine" you insist and try to pull her in with you. She pulls away and resists.

"No! I really don't want to! Please!" She pulls away hard and breaks your grip.

Wow, OK. She really doesn't want to go.

You ask her what's wrong. Maybe you're starting to cross the line with teasing her so much.

"Look, I was just joking around before. If it's bothering you-" She cuts you off, "It's not that. I just...I don't like caves. It's dark and cramped in there."

Oh jeez. Miss fancy-pants upper-middle class gym daughter can't handle much, can she? It's a good thing she has you around. She's almost tearing up. You can practically read her mind, she's just such an easy mark. "She must think I'm a wuss" you hear her timid voice say in your own head.

"Alright. That's fine. Look, why don't you go setup camp, and I'll meet you there after, OK?" She looks up and nods, glad you're not forcing her into anything or putting her down. You start making your way in the cave, but grab the edge and look back at her first. "Rye bread, extra mayo." You instruct her. She gets the hint and repeats it to herself, then scurries towards the clearing you passed earlier.

You're inside the cave now. It is pretty dark, and cold, and damp. She may have had a point.

"Devon, come on out!" a brief flash of light illuminates the cave as your Houndour appears. At first he's a little surprised to be in such a place, but he quickly forgets everything and looks to you for instruction.

You start to have second thoughts, and retrieve Devon. Another small flash of light illuminates the cave. You feel like there's a joke in here about just doing that over and over again to light your way.

You reach into your many tiny pockets and find a small lighter and mirror. It's no a flashlight, and it's very not bright, but it's subtle.

As you make your way deeper into the cave, you think you can make out the form of a creature hanging from the cave ceiling. It's a little hard to tell with any certainty.

You decide to confirm your suspicion before committing to action. You sneak in a little closer and slowly shine your light in it's direction. You can make out the small form now. It's a deep purple creature with it's wings wrapped around it's body. That's a zubat alright.

As you're leaning in over a boulder to inspect, you notice that it shifted slightly under your weight. Huh, it looked heavier than that.

You decide to inspect the boulder more closely. To your surprise, you find that it looks like it was recently dug up. You can feel distinct grooves that are either from man made tools, or a some sort of really solid, strong claw. You hope it's the former. Infact, now that you think about it, a lot of this cave looks like it's had some digging done recently.

You can worry about that later though. Right now you have a mission. As you refocus your attention on Zubat, your eyes are adjusting better to the darkness. You can make out at least one more Zubat just beyond the first one.

You consider your options and decide on releasing Zappy Dan. Another flash of light illuminates the cave. Suddenly you hear the strong flapping of several pairs of wings and loud screeching.

You're able to make out 4 Zubats quickly scurrying about. They turn on you and Zappy Dan to attack.

"Zappy Dan! Use Thunderwave!"

Zappy Dan quickly rotates it's magnets and releases a wave of electricity at the closest Zubat. It falls to the ground, struggling to get up.

The other 3 Zubats screech at him. The noise is nearly unbearable and you cover your ears in reflex.

Zappy Dan looks confused, he's spinning around, trying to center himself on a target.

You throw a pokeball at the paralyzed Zubat. Even though it hasn't been damaged yet. The Pokeball hits it's target, and Zubat is absorbed in another bright flash.

Wiggle

Wiggle

Zubat escapes! It flies off. Even paralyzed, it's speed is impressive

Zappy Dan spins in confusion, tracking to stay on target with the other Zubats. They're pounding into him, causing him ("it", technically) to have an even harder time of it. You tell Zappy Dan to let loose another thunder wave. He shakes off the spell he was under and focuses hard, firing off another yellow wave. Despite it's speed, another Zubat is struck. It moves much slower now, and roughly lands on nearby rock. It still attempts to screech, but little sound comes out.

You throw a Pokeball at the paralyzed Zubat. The flashing light is harsh on your eyes in this darkness. You hear the sound of the ball moving back and forth before there's a satisfying click! You quickly run over and collect it.

You decide to call it Vlad for now. You're not sure if that's just it's name yet, or short for something. If it turns out to be female, you'll call it Carmilla, you guess.

The other two Zubat continue to screech at Zappy Dan. Confusion washes over him once more, and another tackle bounces off of him. He's still taking it like a champ though.

You decide to run away. You've gotten what you came for. Knowing when to make tracks is a lesson you've learned well.

You retrieve Zappy Dan and make a break for it. With Zappy Dan gone, the Zubats focus their attention on you. You hear those high-pitched screeches again, but now that they're on you, they're a thousand times worse. The cave acoustics only amplify it. It's difficult to run from them with their impressive speed.

You're having trouble walking straight and everything is a blur. You're not sure how long ago it happened, but the Zubats seem to have stopped and left you alone. Slowly, your senses start to fade back in.

As you gather yourself up, you begin to hear muffled murmuring and see some flickering lights up ahead. You hear loud bowdy laughing from several different voices. The echos of the cave make it hard to tell exactly how many people there are, or what they're saying.

You sneak closer to see what's going on. As you approach, the words start to come out clearer.

"Hell of a haul team. Hell of a haul". That one seems to be in charge. "I'm sure we're all going to be looking at bonuses when we bring this in." A round of cheers and claps follow. You see some helmet lights constantly shifting the lighting in the room. Depending on which direction they point in, you can make out several large rocks and stacks of boxes. Overall it's still fairly dark, and you're confident in your sneaking skills.

You decide to stay awhile, and listen.

"I bet those dorky scientists would kick themselves if they knew how close they were getting." One of them says. He sounds a bit desperate to be acknowledged. "Jordan, you're a damned idiot," another voice responds, "Why do you think the boss arranged for their funding to get pulled? He's got connections."

"Neither of you are supposed to know or talk about the boss," the authoritive voice interupts. "You know that. Don't force me to ruin such a joyous moment." His threat lingers in the air for a moment, and you can just barely make out muffled apologies. His voice is deep and distinct.

After a moment the mood starts to shift again and you can hear the sounds of bottles being opened and celebrations starting. You figure there are probably a half dozen of them, but it's hard to be sure.

Well, you just would be you if you didn't take take advantage of this. The darkness hides your wicked grin as well as your nimble movements.

You sneak over to the closest stack of boxes and grab some of the contents off the top. Your hand find a pile of rocks and-oh, some bottles. You're able to snag a few of each before you feel that you're starting to press your luck. Slowly and carefully you slide each item into your bag, using your old ragged clothes to make sure none of them touch and make noise.

Things are getting pretty lively and the echos of people moving around increase a bit. The sounds of rowdy laughter and conversation pierce through the darkness.

You better get going while the going is still good. You're on a roll, but experience tells you that luck is a fickle mistress.

Suddenly footsteps approach as you quickly put your back against the crate you were just taking from. You hear, and feel, a form rummaging through it, searching for something. You hold your breath, your heart beating rapidly in your chest. The sound of a bottle slipping out from the crate and rocks filling it's place sounds incredibly loud, even though you know it isn't. The figure stumbles off back to the others. That felt way too close for comfort. Still, part of the fun is the risk of being caught.

You're glad for your current clothing, it makes securing your bag much easier. There is virtually no sound as you begin to slip away.

You're able to find your way back to the cave entrance after a good while. You notice it's pretty dark outside, even though it seems bright after your adventure in the cave. The overcast you saw earlier is looking nasty.

You decide to check your new Zubats gender. The pamphlets really didn't say anything on exactly how to do that or if there are specific markings, so you have to do it the old fashioned way.

Zubat is not impressed. He (so it is a he) quickly tries to escape as you inspect. You recall him as he gets loose. He's got a lot of fight in him.

You decide to check out what you 'found' in the cave. There are 3 bottles of hard booze and 3 weird looking rocks.

The first stone looks like a smooth circle with some points coming out of it. For some reason it reminds you of a skull.

The second one is a clear green stone with what looks like a miniature thunderbolt inside. That's pretty cool.

The third one is a shinny golden nugget that looks like-Holy hell. Is this a gold nugget? Actual gold? You're sure that if you were a cartoon character, money symbols would be in your eyes right now. You wipe away your drool and make your way to the camp site. Robin is probably hiding in a corner crying or something by now.

The sky is quickly getting dark as you approach, and the wind is really picking up. Small bits of raindrops fall on your head and shoulders. The camp is immaculate. Did she even brush away the leaves?

Robin runs over to you, beaming. "Guess what I did!"

"You managed to completely sterilized part of the forest," you quip.

"No! I caught a Pokemon! It's a Geodude!" She excitedly explains how as her and Eevee were setting up the camp, she tried to roll a rock out of the way before she realized it was a Pokemon. Eevee was able to take it by surprise, even with the type disadvantage. Eevee's pretty spent now, and Geodude is weak from being caught.

You decide that this is cause for a celebration. You fish a bottle out of your bag while she fetches that sandwich she made you. You scarf it down purely with your mouth as your hands are busy pouring some drinks.

You turn around and hand her one. "What's this?" She sniffs it curiously.

Oh, she's fun! "Liquid fun." You tell her. She's not sure what to make of that answer. You slowly sip yours, but you're shocked to see her take it all done in one gulp.

You're only impressed for a second. She quickly grimaces and coughs. "This is alcohol!" She proclaims. Guess she didn't gather that beforehand. No wonder she swigged it like juice.

She looks over her shoulders and leans in close, whispering "We're not not supposed to drink this!" Who does she expect will hear us?

"Would you relax? It's not like we're driving or anything. You're always so nervous and fidgety. Just have some fun for once. It'll be fun, I promise."

She looks at you, and looks back at her empty cup.

You sip your own drink. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do either way. Make up your own mind."

She stares at her empty cup. The wind picks up for a second and stifles the silence.

Suddenly she grabs the bottle of your hand, pours herself a massive shot, and downs it again. She looks at you with fierce determination and a slight red tinge to her cheeks before she breaks and starts gagging and scrunching her face.

You can't help but laugh. "Jeez, drink, don't drown in the stuff. Come on, I'll show you how it's done right." You show her how to drink like a pro. You fetch some juice from her bag to mix and chase. Eventually you start feeling a pretty good buzz yourself.

The rain is a soft patter now.

You both crowd into her small tent. It's a little cramped, but it beats being out in the rain. Both of your clothes are a little wet, but it's not too uncomfortable

She just can't stop giggling. She really was wound up pretty tight, but now she's finally not fidgeting so damn much.

Her entire body language has shifted. She almost seems like an entirely new person.

The clinging of your wet clothes is bothering you more than you realized. You start taking off your wet pants.

Robin looks at you, confused for a second. "They're wet. I'm changing into my other clothes."

She's slow to respond. "Thaz a good ideah!" she says, probably a little louder than she meant too. She puts her hand on your should in a drunken attempt to pat you on the back, then takes off her pants as well. Her legs are mostly still under the blanket though.

She suddenly gets an evil smirk. She pulls off her shirt, revealing a tiny white bra. She tries to lean over close to you to show off her virtually non-existent cleavage. "Lhook at me! Ah'm Robin! I don't care who sees my booooobs!" She's trying to tease you. Cute.

You smirk. Two can play at that game. You take off your top, and then your bra. "I sure don't. Maybe I like to be looked at." You lean right back in, and make sure she gets a good eyeful

She gulps. She clearly was expecting you to at least be a little fazed. Obviously she needs to be taught a lesson.

"Or maybe you weren't trying to do an impression of me after all. Maybe you meant it, hmm?" You push her back slightly so she's sitting up straight with one hand, and trace your finder up the small of her back with the other. You hear the faintest gasp as you unclasp her bra. You realize how much your chest is pressing into hers as you're so close, and back away slowly and lift her arms to remove her bra. She's absolute putty in your hands.

You lean in closer once more. Your face slowly moves next to hers, then passed it. You press your face right into the small of her neck as you reach your target. Her breath is raspy, her heart is pounding away. You slowly push her down onto the bed. A moan escapes her mouth and you have to admit it sounds pretty damn tempting.

Suddenly you spring up again. You were finally able to reach the bottle that was sitting behind her.

"No more for you, lush!" You wink and kill the bottle off. She looks like she's about to faint, but not from the booze.

"So how to you think you're dad is going to take the news about Eevee?"

She gathers her composure slightly. Robin was clearly in another world. She tries to casually slide her legs under the blanket, but stumbles slightly.

"I-I don't know. Daddy can be..." She struggles for the words, "daddy can be a little emotional"

"Hmmph, parents, right?" You crack a joke. It sounds a lot funnier in your head than how it comes out.

She's a little too far gone to get it. "Ever since mom died, he's done nothing but focus on his gym." She pauses to hiccup. It's become an obsession. All he ever talks about is being better than the other gym leaders. He's demeaning to trainers who don't recognize his strength." She pauses again. "He never pays attention to me any more. I help out around the gym so much, and he treats me like just another tool to clean up after battles or scout other gym leaders."

She's getting a little mad now. "He's not even my dad anymore. He's just some jerk I live with."

She becomes aware of where she is. You're both in a tent in the middle of the woods. There are no rules, strict authority figures, or anything else out here. "I guess I don't have to though. Live with him I mean."

You pull her in close for a hug. The cold winds slightly penetrate the tent, making her warm skin feel that much nicer. There's a tenderness here, a comfort. It's a fitting scene, the two of you cuddling for warmth and comfort as the world outside your little shelter becomes a torrential mess.

"You can do anything you want to. So you shouldn't be afraid to find out what that is. You could make a living as a trainer, or a stockbroker. You got a pretty good head on you."

She snuggles closer in a gesture of appreciation.

"Robin," you hear yourself say. "I have something to tell you." What are you doing?

"Mnhrm?" She answers. Her face is buried deep in your chest, but she's either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

"My name isn't really Robin. I lied to you." Oh shit! Shut up! What's wrong with you!

The silence is unbearable.

She removes her face from your chest and looks up at you. "Why would you do something like that?" Oh god, this was a mistake. Stupid stupid stupid. "You're so silly. Who cares what your name is." A hiccup interrupts her. "You're my best friend." She snuggles her face in your breasts once again.

You smile and almost have to laugh at yourself. Your chest tickles. Yeah, that definitely tickles your chest.

You drift off to sleep.

You wake up. Robin's face is smooshed up against yours,

The storm outside seems to be over, and you can see the silhouettes of small droplets of water roll down the tent in the morning light from the corner of your eye. You slowly start to peel your face off of hers, only to realize that your arms and legs are wrapped around each other in some sort of inhuman knot.

Before you can figure out whose hands are where. Robin wakes up.

"Well hello sleepyhead!~"

She's slow to realize where she is. You can feel her groping around to find her own hands.

"Oh! Oh my, you're just insatiable, aren't you?"

She turns that satisfying shade of red again and detangles from you, falling out of the blanket. She immediately covers up when she realizes she's wearing nothing but panties. Last night floods into her mind and she relaxes. She's still covering up, but she's not defensive about it, just shy. She manages a brave and confident looking, but obviously forced smile. She's trying to act like it doesn't bother her.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that today Robi-" She stops. There's an awkward silence. "I'm not falling for that today," she finishes.

You both get dressed in silence.

You feel an odd sensation from her tone. What's the feeling called? Shame? Guilt? Is there a name for the feeling you get when someone disapproves of you and you actually care?

"Are you mad at me?" You finish putting your shirt on. It's dried out overnight, but it still feels a bit cold and unprotecting. "About my name, I mean."

She looks over to you. "I-" She starts, but realizes how dry her mouth is. You fetch and pass her a canteen of water. "Thanks." She drinks and continues. "I'm not mad. I'm just. I don't know. We haven't really known each other that long, but it feels like I've known you for a long time." She pauses again. "I just want to know if I actually know you, you know?"

You know.

She looks you in the eyes. "Is there anything else I don't know about you. Anything important?"

"I steal. I guess I'm what you'd call a 'bad kid'. But I'm not a bad person!"

She cocks her head, trying to grasp your meaning.

"I just do what I have to to get by." You see pity in her eyes. That's normally the type of thing that would set you off, but not right now. "And as for the name. I don't know. I've been burned in the past. It's not like it's ever been important anyway. As far as the system was concerned, I'm a number, a statistic."

She loosens up on the pity-stare. She can see it's making you a little upset.

"OK. I can't say I approve, but I'm not going to tell you what to do either way. I'll let you make up your own mind." Those are the same words you told her last night. She gives you a smile.

"So what should I call you?"

You tell her that she should decide. It never mattered much to you.

"OK! From now on I'll call you..."

"Robin!" She proclaims.

"But won't that get confusing when we meet other people?" You answer. You brush aside the feeling of flattery that comes with her giving you her own name for now.

She taps her finger on her mouth and thinks for a second. "Hmm, I guess you're right. Tell you what. I'll call you Robin in private." Oh? Where is this going? "Aaaaaand, in front of other people, I'll call you Kat!"

You're not sure what to make of that. You plant your hands on your hips. "Why Kat?"

She smiles. This must be how she feels when you bait her like this. "Simple!" She winks at you, "Cats eat Robins."

UN-fucking-believable. She didn't just say that.

She cocks an eyebrow up, but makes sure the innuendo sinks in before she turns away to start packing up the camp. You guess your face gave it away, because she hums to herself happily as she works.

One little night of drinking and she thinks she can get away with that, huh?

After you pack up and pack away a quick breakfast, you're both ready to take on the day.

You still have 2 pokeballs left, and you want to use them! The pamphlets said that there are a lot of rivers and ponds around here. Robin seems relieved that you didn't say you're going to the haunted area. You make a mental note to yourself that you may want to drag her there eventually anyway, just to get her back for her nickname.

You and Robin head down to the closest points of water you know of. The ground is a bit muddy and has some give to it, but it's not enough to deter you.

You see a few people fishing along the waterfront. They wave to you.

You decide to walk along the edge of the water. You feel it. There's the magical taste of destiny in the air. There's a certain Pokemon out here you're going to track down. You can feel it.

You decide to let the winds of fate guide your way!

Jeez, that sounded pretty lame.

You decide to see what happens. You can handle whatever comes your way. Bring it on, destiny! You plant yourself down and wait.

Destiny fails to bring it on. This is boring. Fine! You'll give Destiny a little encouragement You keep running along the side of the river. Eventually it takes you to a small lake. You can see a small blue Pokemon leaping from the water. It looks like Destiny decided to lead you a Horsea.

You know what to do. You bravely pose, reach to your side, and take out a Pokemon to battle.

You consider using Zappy Dan for the type advantage, but stop yourself. Dan has gotten a good amount of experience in. It's time for your newest Pokemon, Vlad, to show what he's got.

You do a smooth underhanded toss, and pose triumphantly. "Vlad! I choose you!"

Vlad explodes out of his Pokemon, doing several circles in the air. He's fast, but he seems a bit slower than how you remember the Zubats in the cave. You remember that he's still paralyzed from when you captured him.

He'll be fine, you assure yourself.

"Vlad! Come down here for a second!"

The little purple bat makes it's way down to you. His flight is a little erratic as his wings miss the occasional flap. You take out the medicine you bought at the Pokemon center for this sort of thing and gently apply it. Vlad seems to regain his coordination almost instantly and makes a little squeak of happiness.

Robin nods in approval.

Alright! You're ready for battle. Vlad flies back in the air. "Vlad, use supersonic on that Horsea!"

Vlad spreads his wings wide and lets out an ear piercing noise. Your head throbs. Robin covers her ears in pain. Maybe you guys won't drink so much next time.

Horsea is hit mid-jump, and flops into the water. A moment later, it pops up again, and fires off a smokescreen. You can still make it out, but it's a little harder to see.

Smokescreen? Will that even work on Zubat?

Whatever. "Use Leech Life!" You really are glad you spent that time studying. Maybe you'll send some more time on it later. Seems useful.

Several small spheres of light come flying out of Horsea and into Vlad. Horsea doesn't look like it was hurt that much. It does look mad though. Horsea takes aim and fires a thin but forceful jet of water that sends Vlad spinning for a second. He regains control quickly.

You're not going to let up that easy. "Vlad! Hit it with a Wing attack now!"

He's so damn fast! He flies by Horsea and there's a clear, heavy sounding hit. Horsea splashes into the water, but reappears a moment later. Now it's really mad.

That smokescreen won't help against a Supersonic attack, right? You begin shouting to Vlad to use it again. You notice Robin has moved well outside of your shouting range and is holding her ears. Lightweight.

Vlad hits Horsea with another Supersonic. It looks like it's working. Horsea sways from side to side. It seems to gather a strong purple aura around itself, then tries to jump up at Vlad. The nimble Zubat moves to dodge, but it's unnecessary, as Horsea misses by a wide amount, and smacks into the water hard. Ouch.

You're not familiar with that attack, but it looked pretty powerful.

Time to finish this up! You take careful aim through the smokescreen, balance up on one foot, and throw the Pokeball hard so it'll reach it's target.

Yes! Horsea is hit! That increasingly familiar burst of light bounces off the surrounding water.

Your smile quickly fades as the Pokeball falls into the lake, slowly sinking.

You decide to jump in after it. You swim out to the spot in the water you saw it last, and dive under, holding your breath.

In the corner of your eye, you see Robin puking her guts out. You guess she was still a little drunk this morning, and she's feeling it now.

You're not exactly sure where it may have drifted under the water.

You check in the coral. As your hand fishes around and you look through it at different angles, you think you spot the Pokeball. You reach it to grab it when suddenly a sharp pain startles you and you can't help but cry out, losing precious oxygen. Several tiny spikes poke out of your arm, and a cloud of blood leaks out. That wasn't coral at all. It's a Corsola. It's eyes stare into you as it raises from being halfway in the sand.

You're not giving up! You quickly try to reach over and grab the pokeball from it's head. You use your left hand this time, since your right arm hurts like hell. You're prepared now. When there's something someone else has that you want, you're the master. You quickly snatch the Horsea's pokeball and swim up as quickly as you can.

As the water washes from your face you can hear Robin shouting at you. Zubat circles overheard and follows along as you swim back to shore.

Robin looks green. You're not sure if its because she's hung over, or because she's staring at the spikes sticking out of your arm.

You're feeling a little green yourself. You're feeling pretty heavy. That makes sense though, your clothes are soaked.

"Are-are you OK?" Robin looks concerned.

"What? These little things?" You're not about to let Robin see you act anything other than tough as nails. You mentally prepare yourself as you pull them from your arm.

You reach over and pull them out. Letting them drop to the ground. That was easy. Actually, that didn't hurt at all.

You look over to Robin. She's saying something, but you can't quite make hear it. Everything starts to sound fuzzy. Why are you looking up at her, you're taller, right?

The clear blue sky looks nice. Robin is saying something else now, but it seems so far away. You think you'll take a nap now.

[End of Chapter 4]

Hope everyone's enjoying it. I know it's a bit different.


	5. Thread 5 parts 1 and 2

"Robin?"

You're voice echoes out to the empty void. You don't remember how long you've been wandering it. All you know is that you haven't seen anyone anything for a long time.

"Roooooobiiiiiiin" you yell out once more into the emptiness. There's a faint echo, then nothing. You know it's futile, but what else are you going to do? Who else can you turn call for help?

Your pokeballs rest heavily against your hip as you stare into the void.

Your pokeballs... Your Pokemon!

There's a lack of reflection to the light as you release Devon. The sound of his release briefly before silence once again fills the void.

Devon looks different. No longer the happy loyal dog you know. You don't see your first Pokemon, you see flame and darkness. Stalwart determination emanates from him and pierces you very soul. There's a burning question in his eyes. Though no words are spoken, you know what he's asking.

Why are you trying to become a Pokemon trainer?

You've never had anyone you were very close to. Pokemon are different. You want them to be your friends. Maybe even more.

You and your friends...no, you and your family, can take on the world together. Show everyone that you're worth something. You can accomplish something great if you just get a chance.

Zappy Dan comes out next.

Harsh electricity fills the air. The high pitched noises are almost too much. You shut your eyes and cover your ears. It's difficult to even think until you take a moment to refocus yourself. You lower your hands and open your eyes. It takes more than that to get to you.

Your face is reflecting off of the shiny magnemite, warped and distorted. Maybe that's just how you look, you're not sure anymore.

Zappy Dan's metal exterior and attitude looks solid and impenetrable. You remember how he endured Devon's assault and got up to fight again. You recall how the Zubats bounced off of him at the cave. Dan is tough. Dan can endure.

He levitates higher, and his one eye meets both of yours.

How much are you willing to endure?

You're just as tough as any metal. You're gladly endure any difficulties that come your way. You can take it. Others though, they might not be as strong. It's not fair to ask the same as them. You might even take a few of their hits for them, if you have to.

Vlad is next. Even though his wings are flapping rapidly to keep himself up in the air, there's still a calm feeling to the whole spectacle. The void is no longer a reflective electric yellow. It's not a soothing purple.

You don't have that much experience with Vlad yet. You remember catching him, and checking his gender manually. You stifle a laugh. He liked that about as much as Robin would.

He did pretty well against that Horsea. You concede that he seems to be pretty reliable so far, which isn't something you're used to from anyone in your life, people or Pokemon. Maybe things are changing?

You put your hands on your hip. It's your turn to ask a question. "So what, you're supposed to represent my sexuality and relationships?"

The small Zubat stops flapping it's wings. Somehow it stays in the air. Vlad suddenly becomes very large, and lets out a silent screech.

What do those things mean to you?

Relationships are worth what they can get you. Sex is weapon. At least, that's what you've always thought. You've pretended to be more confident about both than you really are up until now.

You decide that you bravely want explore both. You wonder if Robin will be your test subject. You're not sure if you want it to lead to something more, or if you just want to have fun and leave it at that. Sex, love, life, it doesn't have to be serious, right?

Your newly caught Horsea appears. Idly, you remember that you still haven't given her (it's a girl, right?) a name. She floats around you, leaving a bubble in her wake. You left it to chance to see what you'd find, and chance lead you to her. No, not chance, Destiny,

Destiny demands sacrifice. What are you willing to lose?

Sacrifice implies losing. You don't intend to lose a damn thing. You'll hold on to every little bit of progress. Why should you sacrifice anything? Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, you don't think it deserves anything from you. Not with the cards you've been dealt.

Horsea vanishes. Silence once again makes it's presence known. There's nothing here but you and the void. You stare into the abyss.

There's a girl. She's your height, your age, and your build. Her movements mimic your own.

She's close enough to see clearly now. That's not someone else. It's you.

It's not a trick, it's not an illusion. It's you. It's you without your guard up, it's you without any pretense.

What do you see?

She's just a worthless punk. A nobody. Look at her, she has the audacity to lie and steal, but she's just a quivering coward. Who could love her? The world is going to rightfully chew her up and spit her out. But... there's a faint glimmer of determination there too. She's not entirely alone anymore, right? Maybe with a little help...

No. Someone like that doesn't stand or even deserve a chance.

All four Pokemon begin to whirl around you. You find yourself in the middle of a power vortex as your answers are reflected back at you. You frantically watch as everything spins out of control, helpless. You have no idea whats going to come next.

You're awake. Your memories come flooding back in. The last thing you remember is looking up at Robin's panicked face, then the blue clear sky. Usually watching her panic is fun, but that time it seemed different.

That's right. You passed out. It must've been from whatever that Pokemon hit you with. Hmmph, obviously you're not as immune to mind altering substances as you thought.

You finally manage to will your heavy eyelids open. You're in a small, warm, breezy beach house. there's a large, muscular man standing across the small room. He's busy working on something you can't see. He's not looking at the door, and there are several open windows. The sound of waves can be heard outside.

It doesn't look like he's flexing at all, but his muscles are bulging all the same. It's easy to see since he's not wearing a shirt. Wait, you're not wearing a shirt either! You're completely nude. At least you're under a blanket.

You stay silent. You need more information before you can decide what to do. Let's just see where things are going.

You wonder where Robin is. She wouldn't just leave you, would she? Is she ok?

He finishes up what he was doing, then turns towards you. You quickly shut your eyes and hope he didn't notice.

By his even footsteps and lack of reaction, you figure he didn't see your open eyes. You barely suppress the urge to react as fingers find their way between your upper shoulder and the blanket. His other hand grabs your arm, and pulls it out.

OK. Calm down. He was just holding the blanket in place to inspect your arm. He starts to unravel the bandage you failed to notice before now.

You decide that he isn't an immediate threat. You manage the words, "Where's Robin?"

He turns to look at your face. You're not certain if he heard you. "Good, you're awake. You probably have some questions. Before that though," he heads back over to the table he was working and, and returns with a small cup filled with a dark liquid "You should drink this before it cools down."

He heads back over to the table.

You inspect the drink carefully. You suppose if there's anything questionable in this, he probably would have had you drink it while you were out. Doesn't mean you trust him though. You take a small sip, tasting for anything you'd recognize. It's foul, but that doesn't tell you much.

You turn your attention back on him. You asked him a question. He better be straight with you.

"Where's Robin?" Your eyes narrow. Your tone borders on menace. At least, that's what you're trying for. It's hard to speak with your full diaphragm.

"Your friend volunteered to make breakfast. She's around back. I don't think she got a bit of sleep. She stayed by your side all night."

So you've been here a whole night. That's good to know, even if it's a little alarming.

You hadn't realized how bad your vision was before. That drink is kicking in quickly, or maybe you're just recovering naturally. The world starts to come it to focus much more clearly. It's a little less threatening than before

"Why are my clothes?" Your tone is low and flat. There's a clear edge of accusation and a little hostility.

"We needed to make sure those were the only injuries."

He lets out a small sigh, "Your friend told me you had passed out after diving into the water. She didn't know what happened to you, only that you had these sticking out of your arm." He takes a small bowl off the table and shows you the contents. The spikes looked much bigger before. They sure felt like it, anyway.

That makes sense, you suppose. Still, that doesn't explain why you weren't dressed back up again. "How long did you need to check for exactly?"

He freezes for a moment. Now you can really see his muscles bulge as he tenses up. He realizes it was less of a question, and more of an accusation. "I left the room and simply instructed your friend on a list of things to check for. It was entirely clinical! After your friend completed the check," His hands raise defensively, "She came running out of the room. She kept saying 'I can't do any more', and 'it's too much'! I tried to tell her that it was fine. No other unexplained wounds or discoloration was a good thing, but my words failed to reach her."

"Obviously her worry for your safety was just too much," he offers, "She didn't have the nerve to continue, but informed me that you were under a blanket before I allowed myself back in. The poor girl was such a bright red with worry for your safety."

Yeah, sure. That sounds like a good explanation. He doesn't seriously believe that, does he? Hopefully he didn't see your eyes roll.

"Please, I can assure you that your modesty remains unbroken!" He brings you your clothes and makes his way to the door.

Your modesty remains unbroken? Besides that not exactly being true, who talks like this? You begin to notice his tone is a little too low. His mannerisms a little too old and stiff. His face seems much younger and less threatening now that you've had time to settle into your surroundings. He could be roughly your age now that you think about it, but his mass makes it a little hard to be sure.

Still, you're starting to gather that he's trying to sound much older than he is, and much more authoritative. Authority figures are one thing, people your age trying to act like them are even worse. Maybe you can let that slide. He did help you and Robin out of a jam, supposedly. He could just be uncomfortable having two strangers staying at his humble little home.

"I'm going to get dressed, and then I want to see Robin." It's just a statement of fact at this point. He takes the hint and brings your your clothes and your things. They've clearly been rummaged through.

"...I apologize for that. I asked your friend for some supplies to treat you with. She just emptied both of your bags as quickly as she could and told me to take whatever I needed." He scratches behind his head and laughs nervously. He must not know how you'll react to that. "Your Zubat's venom was a key ingredient," He gestures to your empty cup.

No need to snap at the poor guy, you suppose. He did help you. You ask him to leave the room so you can get dressed. You're still not happy with him for going through your stuff. "Look, I appreciate your help, and I get this was an emergency, but don't touch my stuff or Pokemon again without my permission." You tell him as he exits through the curtained door.

You can't believe Robin would just panic like that. Well, yes, actually. You can very much believe it. That girl is just no damn good under pressure. You make a mental note to scold her for just emptying your stuff and letting a stranger get access to your Pokemon like that. He walks just outside the

"How did you got those, anyway? Your friend didn't seem to know."

You tell him about the Corsola. He's silent for a moment and responds, "Are you sure it was a Corsola?" You nod. You studied the local Pokemon before with Robin. What else could it be?

"That's...unusual. They normally don't know the type of move that would do that to you." He stares off towards the lake. "Perhaps another released Pokemon."

You finish dressing and walk 'out back', where he said Robin was. He doesn't follow, he seems lost in thought.

There's a small fire going in the back. You see Robin sprawled out on a chair, mouth open, fast asleep. What you can only guess were once pancakes are burning darker than Devon's coat.

You remove the 'pancakes' from heat. You hope she doesn't expect you to eat that, although it's a sweet gesture. Gently you sit yourself on her tiny lap. She's a bit of a heavy sleeper, isn't she? You poke her in your cute little cheeks. Still nothing but a tiny little snore. You wrap your arms around her and give her a light kiss on the forehead. Her eyes flutter open, and she squints in the morning sunlight.

"R-Kat!" Her arms swing open and encase you faster than you can react. You're still weak and she practically crushes you.

"Robin," You use some of the last remaining air in your lungs, "You're crushing me."

She begins to pull away, but you don't let her. You pull her tighter. Her arms relax and you both hug for a long, long time.

The urge slowly grows inside you. You just can't help it. "Not embarrassed this time I see."

Robin blushes and finally breaks the hug. She and looks at the charred remains of the breakfast she was preparing. Her bright smile fades. "I wanted to make you and Vance breakfast." She looks disappointed in herself as she stares at her feet, slowly kicking the ground.

Vance, huh?

Speak of the devil. 'Vance' comes strolling around from the other side of the small building, arms full of various fruits. "You two are probably starving!"

Robin's eyes light up again.

You decide to accept his offer for breakfast. You never turn down free food. There's a pretty wide variety here. Berries, bananas, apples, pears, and more. It's all deliciously fresh too. Maybe it's just because you're so hungry. That's a good sign, right?

Robin is scarfing it down too. It's surprising how much her small frame can pack away.

You see Vance has put out some Pokemon food as well. He releases his Pokemon, a Machop. "Please, I insist. There's plenty."

Robin releases Eevee and Geodude. So that's what it looks like in real life.

You sit close to Robin. After everything that's happened, it's good to be near someone familiar.

You decide to let your Pokemon out. A free meal is a free meal, and they've earned it. Devon and Houndour seem the most famished. Vlad just latches on to poffin and sinks his fangs in. He makes a cute sucking noise.

You're about to release Horsea when Robin stops eating long enough to speak up. "Thank you for everything Vance. I don't know what we would have done without you."

You look over to Robin to see she's completely fallen for his nice guy routine. You can practically see the sparkles in her eyes as she looks at him. That idiot, just because he helped us doesn't mean he's necessarily a nice guy. Even if he is She's know him what, a day? You hope that look she's giving him is just a lot of gratitude, and nothing more.

"Yeah, thanks." you say to him. Manners don't hurt, right? You release Horsea. At first she looks like she's about to restart the battle she had earlier, but once the food hits her eye she falls in line. That was easy. You're able to reach over and pet her as she eats.

You still haven't had a chance to name her yet.

After some internal debate, you decide on a name. "Destiny," you say to nobody in particular. To your slight irritation, nobody heard you, not even Robin. She's right next to you. What is she, deaf?

Hello. Robin! Look over here!

It seems that you can't psychically get her attention. You'll just have to do it the fun way then. You grab a handful of fruit and plant yourself on her lap. Let her ignore that!

"K-Kat! W-what are you doing?" She seems particularly embarrassed that you've decided to tease her in front of Vance.

"I haven't thanked you yet." You run your hand up the small of her back in the exact same path as the night you two were drinking. It's obvious by the way she stiffens and shudders that she's remembering it too. "You brought me here. I owe you big time." You feed her a few grapes. When she's like this, you can basically do with her as you please. You think for a second that this might be a little much, but remembering the look she was giving Vance, you decide to press your advantage. Slowly, you move in real close, and whisper in her ear. "I'll be sure to reward you later." You lick her ear in a manner that keeps Vance from seeing clearly.

Her face is so hot you could burn those pancakes all over again.

Vance looks considerably uncomfortable.

"So," he begins, trying to concentrate on his food. "Where are you two heading to?"

"I want to look for another Pokemon and get some training in with my team before we head to Kindletown. I have a badge to win."

You feel Robin's legs stiffen even more when you mention the gym. "I forgot about that," she says quietly. "Daddy is going to be upset that I've been away for so long."

He'd probably be upset over a lot of things that happened to his daughter the last few days. You strangle to urge to say it out loud though.

Vance looks at your arm, then your eyes. "I don't know if that's a good idea quiet yet. Maybe you should rest for another day."

Robin looks even worse now. You get the feeling she doesn't want to keep daddy dearest much longer.

He can wait, you've decided and you're sticking to it. Besides, he's probably going to flip his lid either way. "I want to make sure I can win without breaking a sweat. I'm going to crush my first gym battle." You look at Robin again. That's definitely something you can offer her.

Vance interjects again. "I promised Robin here that I'd make sure you're alright. You'll still need several more treatments just to be sure. I was eventually planning on heading in that direction soon anyway. I don't mind leaving a little ahead of schedule."

"Then it's settled. Vance, you're coming with us!"

Robin has the good grace to look embarrassed for you as you make your loud proclamation.

Either he's shady, and you can keep an eye on him, or he really is just a nice guy. If it's the latter, you know that nice guys make for easy marks at least. Besides, you still feel weak. You'd hate for it to get worse.

"So Vance. If we're going to be traveling together, at least for awhile, I'd like to get to know you a bit better." This question has been a long time coming. "Besides saving people from wild Pokemon attacks, what do you do?"

Vance seems happy to be on this subject. There's a boyish pride to his attitude now. "I'm working to be a world class martial artist." He gathers an intensity and continues. "The human body is an amazing thing. Sure, we depend on Pokemon for many things, but there's just so much a person can do too." Waves splash behind him now, almost as if on cue. "I'm pioneering a new style! One the world has never seen before! My style is based on Pokemon themselves! From the swift Rapidash form to the vicious Primape form. I will learn the unique movements of all Pokemon!"

You can't believe you let this guy intimidate you when you woke up. "That's the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard in my life."

Robin is incredibly relieved that he's too busy posing and arm wrestling his Machop to have heard you. She looks absolutely mortified that you'd say something like that so bluntly.

You have to hand it to him. His passion is infectious. "But if that's really something you want to do, don't let anyone put you down." You say that to Robin as much as to him.

It's time to hit the road. Vance begins to close up his shack, you carefully go through your stuff and feel satisfied that nothing is missing, and Robin spends her time helping both of you.

You glance at Vance. This is far from a permanent grouping. You'll see where it goes.

There's only one last thing to decide on then. Where are you heading?


	6. Thread 6

You're packed up and heading out. Your bag is extra heavy, even though you know it doesn't have any more or any less than it did yesterday.

Devon and Zappy Dan relaxing in the sun after a good meal. Idly, you try to remember if you saw Zappy Dan actually eat anything. You don't recall ever seeing a mouth on the little Magnemite. He must' have. There was food next to him one minute, and then gone the rest.

Destiny and Vlad keep antagonizing each other. Destiny has limited mobility on land, only able to stand and hop. Vlad flies extra close to Destiny, just barely missing each time. He lets out a small squeak each time he passes. It doesn't look particularly menacing, but it does look annoying to be on the receiving end of. After a few passes, she fills the air with bubbles, soaking Vlad's wings. It looks like a fight might break out soon.

You see Robin hasn't retrieved Eevee yet. She must be planning on letting him walk alongside for at least part of the trip. You look at your team.

It's a nice day, everyone is rested up. Why not let them all stay out? You haven't had a chance to do much bonding with them yet

Devon follows behind, runs ahead, and sniffs everything in his path. He seems to have no limit to his energy. When there isn't anything else to inspect, he runs to Eevee to play. You find a stick and give it a toss once in awhile. He chases eagerly.

Zappy Dan seems pretty mellow. He floats beside you, keeping a very even pace and height. You're almost tempted to see if you can balance something on him.

Destiny needs to be carried. She must be still tired, since she falls asleep almost immediately. She's pretty cute. It was a lot of effort, but you're glad you were able to catch her.

Vlad is... Vlad is a bit of a dick. He makes his rounds harassing the other Pokemon. Even occasionally Vance too, who takes it in stride.

As you continue on the journey to Kindletown, the path starts to form into a much wider, better kept road. Foot traffic grows from the occasional sighting of other people to almost never being entirely out of site of another human.

Vance is walking ahead, just out of earshot. Robin is by your side. The entire way she's been sticking close, constantly asking if you need anything. It's both annoying and sweet. She leans in a little closer to you as your group passes a different group of trainers on the road heading the in opposite directing.

"What do you think of Vance?" Robin asks. You're not sure if her extra cheery tone is just your imagination.

"I don't know yet."

Robin seems satisfied with that answer, but you feel compelled to continue anyway. "I don't like the way he looks at you." You blurt the words out. She needs to hear them. "I also don't like the way you're looking at him. You just met this guy. You barely know him."

She meets your eyes. Her expression is hard to read. "I just met you too."

You try your best to keep the hurt look from showing. "But you've known me longer! We found Eevee, we've traveled together, we drank together," That's not desperation in your voice, is it? No. You're just trying to make a point. Time to fall back on what works best. "And we slept together." You make sure those words linger.

Robin blushes on reflex, but it isn't enough to throw her off. She slowly grows a wicked grin. "You...You're not jealous, are you?"

It's your turn to blush now. You open your mouth to respond, but words fail you for a second. That second is all she needs to get her answer. You see something in her eyes. Understanding? Empathy? Pity? She leans close to you again and says, "It'll be alright. Don't worry". With that, she skips ahead. What did she mean by that? Usually you'd berate yourself for being so vulnerable in front of someone, but this time it didn't burn you, you don't think.

One by one you retrieve your Pokemon. Devon is the last to get worn out. By the time you get to him, your voice is flat and monotone. "Devon. Return." Your energy from this morning has worn off.

You're much closer now. The thin, unkempt road gives way to rough hilly terrain. You get the impression that nobody has been done here for some time. You remember some Pokemon were mentioned to hang around the area. What were they again?

Robin and Vance are chatting just up ahead. It's just small talk and idle chatter from the occasional word that makes it's way to your ears, but you can see that what you told Robin has affected how she's talking to him. Next to her, he looks like a giant. Next to him, she looks like a pixie. A pixie that keeps a respectful distance, you note.

The sky is getting dark unusually fast. It's just a coincidence of course. There are mountains far in the distance that are cutting the sunlight down a little early. The tall trees in the area aren't helping things either.

Robin and Vance stop in their tracks and look ahead. There it is. It's almost as if the place snuck up on you, seeing how close you got to it before anyone noticed. The sunlight dips away and the the abandoned mansion quickly takes on a new, menacing look in the darkness.

A quick glance at Robin shows her very poorly concealed terror.

Vance looks indifferent to the view. "I'd better get you some more medicine before we go any further."

"Thanks. That'd be nice."

Vance perks up slightly. You guess that your attitude towards him has been showing. You must still not be running on all cylinders if he was able to read you. Or maybe you're just messing with him now.

Vance starts to take the ingredients he needs out of his bag and gets to work.

"Hey Vance, do you have any garlic in that bag? For the vampires?"

He's concentrating on the task at hand. "Huh? Garlic? Let me check." He starts to look through his bag.

You turn your attention back at Robin. Her arms are held tightly to her chest, and she's biting her nails. Even as nervous and paranoid as she looks, you're able to sneak up on her with ease. You put your arms around her from behind in a playful manner and speak into her ear. Not in the manner of your usual teasing, but in an attempt to spook her even more.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing gets you." She tenses as your hands reach her, then relaxes as she realizes it's just you. That won't do one bit. "I'll protect you from the scary ghosts," You shake her. "I'll protect you from the zombies," You bite her head. "And I'll even protect you from those nasty tentacles." You run your hands over her body, trying to imitate tentacles with your arms as best you can.

That's when she finally breaks and screams, pulling away and cowering some more.

"Relax, Devon can sense these things." You're pretty sure you're making that up, but you take him out anyway. He looks around, oblivious to his spooky surroundings. He licks Robin's face, them comes to you.

"See? Nothing to worry about." She looks up at you, wiping tiny tears from her eyes. She knows you've been teasing her, but she seems to appreciate your gesture with Devon. She looks much more relaxed than before.

Vance finally finishes. "Hey! I found the garlic for the-" He stops. Finally catching on. "...Vampires."

His eyes narrow. "Har har," he says, handing you the medicine. His tone is obviously sarcastic, but not bitter. He's a good sport. You gulp it down as fast as you can without burning yourself, and get everyone moving to the door.

You climb the creaking front stairs and approach the door. The windows are all boarded up, and you can't see inside at all. You try the front door, but it doesn't budge.

"Hey big guy, I have a challenge for you," you call out to Vance. He grins as he gets a chance to show off.

Robin comes over to help push on the door too. You guess it can't hurt. "OK, all together. One," You shift your weight in preparation "Two," everyone moves in unison, "Three!"

You barely even touched the door and it gives way. All of you fly through the doorway ungracefully. You think you hear distant laughter, but it's difficult to tell over the sounds of Robin, Vance, and yourself tumbling over the floor.

Your pokedex goes flying through to the slightly open door, landing just outside of view in the next room. You wonder if it's broken. Correction, you wonder if it's even more broken.

You give yourself a reflexive pat down to make sure you didn't lose anything else. Everything seems accounted for. Your hands linger over your one remaining empty pokeball. If you find a Pokemon here you want to catch, you'll need to be sure that you're going to catch it.

The door slams shut behind you. Robin lets out a small shriek.

Vance looks like he's about to say something to Robin, but you're quicker. You touch Robin on the shoulder gently. "It's just the wind". You looks at you, then puts her best brave face. She looks appreciative.

As your eyes are adjusting to the darkness, you're able to make out much more detail. There's a sense of what you assume is elegance and refinement here, somewhere beneath the dust and harsh punishment of time.

Hanging from the ceiling is an impressive chandelier. It looks very old and fragile. There are several small candles throughout the room, not lit of course.

Now that everyone is on their feet and looking around, you can actually hear your Pokedex in the next room. It starts out sounding like static, but the volume keeps increasing. It begins listing off Pokemon in a seemingly random order, giving them obviously wrong descriptions and traits. "Pikachu, The electric boogaloo Pokemon. Snorfax, the shapeshifting Pallet town. Frosbas, the ugly battleship." It starts to make less and less sense.

There are two grand staircases in the main lobby. The red carpet is dull with age, but the wood looks fine if dusty. It's clearly quality work. In the center of there's a defaced painting. There's no telling what it was. Below the painting is what grabs your attention though. It looks a small statue. It's maybe 3 feet tall, round, and seems completely out of place. It's wearing some sort of X shaped belt, with a diamond shaped slab in the middle.

It moves.

You manage to keep your wits despite the surprise. "Devon, hit it with ember!"

A bright red bit of flame shoots off from Devon's mouth, illuminating everything it passes by. It bounces off the little statue-thing's head, and sails up over the stairs, out of view. That didn't look very effective.

You look back to Robin to see if she's able to use her Pokedex, but see her cower behind Vance instead. She's clinging to his shirt closely, stuffing her face into his back. He looks startled, but stares at the newly discover Pokemon with a determined look. His arm reaches back to Robin in a protective gesture

You don't have time to worry about that right now. The enemy Pokemon (It is a Pokemon, right?) strikes Devon with a mighty pound. Devon is knocked back, but is still very much ready to fight.

You have no idea what you're facing, and don't want to take any chances. "Devon, give it the biggest roar you can!"

Devon digs his feet into the floor, bracing himself. The small statue Pokemon charges and manages to land another blow before he can get himself started.

Devon takes the blow on the face, and stands his ground. He lets out a mighty cry, pushing back his attacker several inches. Even you get some shivers up your spine.

The small statue removes it's arms from it's face, and looks towards Devon again. He makes a move as if he's going to attack it, and that's all it takes for the little round Pokemon to take off running. It hits itself on door frame, then scurries away into the darkness. You're not sure where it went exactly, but you know that it's at least gone for now.

"Good boy!" You kneel down and pat him on the head. It's hard to believe that just a second ago he was such a terrifying spectacle.

Robin slowly looks over from behind Vance. She's obviously relieved that the action has passed. You make your way over to her while Devon follows right behind you.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about!" You put your arm around her should, and direct her vision down to the happy Houndour. "See? Devon won't let anything happen to us. He's way scarier than any ghost Pokemon."

Devon sits and looks at both of you, wagging his tail. You can see a small mark on his face from the hits he took. It's nothing serious, but there was clearly a lot of force behind them.

Robin looks at you in relief and nods. Vance looks around the room. "Where to now?"

"...the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Pokemon. Ryclopsitran, the magnificent Platoform. Farkoal, the [static] Fapamang..."

You look to Vance, "I better go get my Pokedex. I think it's broken."

It's not hard to tell exactly where your Pokedex landed. Besides all the noise it's making, the little blue like on the end that you point at Pokemon is facing upwards. That means it landed on it's screen. That thing already saw some damage long before you got it.

As you go through to the next room, you see a long hallway ending with large double doors. This place is pretty big, and pretty swanky. At least it would be, if there was some upkeep. There's a dead tree in the corner. Even though it's just a tree, it's sad to see a living thing neglected like that. Especially by whoever was rich enough to live here.

"...the calico Pokemon. Angewoman, the Digital Monster Pokemon..."

You better pick that thing up already. As you reach down, the Pokedex seems to stutter, then it changes things up a bit.

"PhantumpPhantumpPhantumpPhantumpPhantumpPhantumpPhantump." What the hell is a Phantump?

You're eyes slowly creep up above you to where the Pokedex is pointing. There's something looking in your eyes, inches away.

"AHHH! DEVON KILLITKILLITKILLIT!"

Devon comes bounding in from the other room. His teeth are bared, his tail is stiff, and his surprisingly low growl fills the room. He is the vision of terror, the stuff of nightmares.

He just might do it. You quickly decide to change his orders a bit before you find out. "Devon! Use ember!"

The floating Pokemon turns it's attention away from you and towards Devon. Time seems to slow down as the small ball of flame flies at it. You're able to briefly see it's face in more detail now. It looks like it's made of wood. There are two...horns maybe, that have leaves sticking off of them. The middle seems to be some sort of whispy dark...stuff. You don't have the same vocabulary as Robin.

The ember connects and there's a small explosion of light. The Phantump (assuming your Pokedex was right) is sent flying backwards, and hits the wall hard.

It looks woozy, but it's not quite out yet. From the look of it, it's got to be a grass type, right? That must have taken a lot out of it. Although it might not be, you remember Robin was telling you something when you were studying about some Pokemon whose types aren't always what they seem.

You take your last Pokeball. You hope Devon hit it hard enough, or this won't work.

"Pokeball! Go!" You aim carefully and give it a toss. It doesn't move fast to avoid it, which seems like a pretty good sign. The flash of light and sound of a pokeball connecting also improve your confidence about this. It connected without any issues.

It wiggles once. Then twice. Then a third time.

Click.

"Yes!" You run over and collect the Pokeball. It's a good thing this was over water, you don't have the energy to repeat last time.

"Good job Devon!" You give him a scratch behind the ear. He's once again transformed into the adorable puppy you know.

Robin and Vance are watching from the doorway.

You put your hands on your hips and make a pose. They still look worked up from the excitement. "Pssht. No problem." You're oozing confidence.

You can see Robin is giddy, and Vance has a huge grin. You decide to play it up a bit more, and casually stroll over for a slick high five. You raise both your hands lazily, and slap theirs. Robin characteristically misses by a good bit. Her hand lands on your shoulders. Instead of letting her awkwardness mess with your mojo, you pull her in for a hug in one swift motion, making it almost seem like it was her intent.

You can feel her heartbeat against yours. Hmm, maybe-

Suddenly you feel a solid wall push in behind you. You feel strong powerful arms move around you and Robin. That's just a wall of muscle. You don't remember inviting him at all.

After a few seconds, the hug breaks up. "So, any if you want to catch anything."

There's a miniature chorus of no, nopes, and negative nods.

You look to the Pokeball in your hand. What are you going to name your newest Pokemon?

Trunks. Yeah, that's a good name.

Devon has been working pretty hard today and it's finally starting to show. You give him another scratch behind the ears and put him back in the Pokeball.

The other two seem eager to be on their way. Then again, this place is pretty lavish. When have you ever had a chance live in luxury? Even if it is old, decrepit, dusty luxury.

You'd want to do a sweep of it first of course, but maybe it would be fun to stay the night?


	7. Thread 7

"We can probably cover a little ground before have to set up camp." Your companions look relieved to hear you say that.

The front door opens with ease. A slight chill has filled the valley while you were in there. Your travelling clothes keep you from feeling it too badly, but it's noticeable on any exposed part of your skin.

You eventually come across a small clearing next to a fairly sized rock formation. A layer of moss covers the slight overhang. Vance's words mimic your thoughts; "This looks like a good spot."

Robin and Vance begin unpacking. Absently you remember that you still haven't gotten a tent, or even a sleeping bag yet.

There's a little bit of work to do before everyone can settle for the night. It's getting decently dark now, but you figure you'll probably have a lot of time tomorrow morning to get some training in before arriving at Kindletown.

Vance sees you move to help out. "You really don't have to. I can take care of this. You should rest." He puts his hand on your shoulder.

You casually brush him off. "It's fine. I've been outdoors plenty. I can start a fire in my sleep."

Setting up the fire is easier than you thought. Devon helps of course. He's still looking a little beat up from his fights today, but he's still jumping at the chance to do whatever makes you happy. You lazily give him a scratch behind the ears.

Robin uses it to begin making dinner. The ingredients don't look all that great, but Vance steps in with some of the various spices he's carrying, and together they manage to cook up an very appetizing dish. Vance is difficult to read. Robin keeps a respectful distance, even if she's looking at him once in awhile in a way you're not sure if you're fond of. The dinner loses some of it's flavor when you drink it with your bitter medicine.

After dinner, Robin almost immediately announces she's going to sleep. The bags under her eyes are noticeable even in the low light of the campfire.

Vance is sipping on some sort of herbal tea. He'll probably be up a little longer.

Your body is tired and sluggish, but your mind is still fairly alert.

The temptation to curl up with your starter Pokemon is pretty great, but he's looking pretty worn out from today. Plus the thought of curling up with Robin instead sounds too fun to pass up.

"Robin, is it OK if I sleep in your tent tonight?" You gesture to to your nonexistent tent and sleeping bag.

She seems only half-there. "Huh? Oh sure. Just give me a second to change into my PJs". Well that's no fun.

The sound of the fire slowly dying and Robin's tent zipper fills the air.

You look towards Vance. "So Vance. You seem to know a lot about medicine. I didn't see any medical schools around your little beach shack."

Vance laughs. "No no. I'm really not all that knowledgeable. My sister is the smart one in the family. I'm hoping to send her a message to see how things are going with her when we get to the Pokemon Center."

There's no more sound from Robin. She must be done by now.

Your make your way quietly into Robin's tent. She's already fast asleep. She's had an exhausting time too, keeping tabs on you all of last night, and keeping pace without complaint. You haven't really had many people in your life you could call a friend. It's almost uncomfortable how quickly she's taken that role, but at the same time it's nice.

You do consider Robin a friend, right? Wasn't she supposed to be a mark? You can't be getting this soft, can you?

Robin is a friend. Maybe the first real friend you've ever had. You can hear the slow soft sound of her breathing, and with each breath you can almost hear how much shes' done for you already. You don't feel the need to keep your guard up with her as much as anyone else.

She's pretty cute though. Especially when she's sleeping. A small flush runs across your face as you remember a few less wholesome times with her on your short journey so far.

Still, you feel that letting her too close too fast might be a bit much. She's fun to tease, but for now, you think you'll just keep things where they are. You still have no idea what she thinks of you.

You'll have plenty of time to see where things go. For now just the company of someone you can trust is more than enough.

Will you have plenty of time though? You never really discussed what you'd do once you got to Kindletown. What if she stays with her dad?

Your sleep is dreamless, and not very good.

You wake up to the distant sound of knocking in the early morning. Robin is still dead asleep. You slowly get up, careful not to wake her, and check it out. Vance and Machop are training but striking a tree repeatedly. Vance waves to you briefly, but seems to want to keep pace and not stop to chat.

It's still fairly early. You have some time before everyone is ready to go.

You decide that Devon and Destiny could use some training before the fight. Devon has been a pretty solid battler so far, but there's still a lot you don't know about his abilities.

Destiny is a mystery too. You remember she demonstrated a move you weren't familiar with when you caught her. She also seems to struggle to move quickly on land, which could be a major handicap.

How will you train Devon?

You're curious about any potential moves Devon might know, or be able to learn.

"Devon," He looks up at you curiously. "Devon, I think you might be able to pull off more than I've seen so far. Can you show me what you know?"

Devon doesn't seem to really understand what you're asking of him. Or maybe he just doesn't know what he can do yet.

You have an idea.

"Devon. See that tree over there?" You point to the tree that Vance and Machop are vigorously attacking. Somewhere in the back if your mind, you wonder what it ever did to them. "I want you to hit that tree. But you can't use Ember or Roar."

Devon is at a loss for a moment. He's struggling to do something, but you can't tell exactly what. His body tenses and he opens his mouth. It looks like he's going to shoot off an Ember attack, as a faint red light builds in his mouth. Slowly, and with great effort on Devon's part, that red light turns black. A sudden beam of dark black energy bursts from his mouth.

Machop and Vance, who hadn't noticed what you were up to before, are treated to an explosion of power at the tree. They both dive out of the way before any serious damage can be done to them, but Vance lets off a series of profanities as he his the ground and bits of bark fly all over him.

You put on your best 'sorry' face and wave apologetically.

Devon knows Dark Pulse!

From his cocky swagger, you feel that it isn't the only trick up his sleeve. In fact, you're not sure if that's what he was bred for at all. Still, it's time to focus on Destiny.

"Hey Vance. I'm sorry about that!" You yell over. "I didn't think that would actually happen."

Vance doesn't say anything, but he waves it off in a gesture that says not to worry about it. He seems a little peeved, but not in a serious way.

You decide Destiny needs to be able to move around without tripping over herself before anything else can get done. It won't do to have her be a sitting psyduck.

You place Destiny on the ground, and kneel down to face her.

"Destiny, I'm glad to have you on the team." She makes a happy face. Adorable. "But we're going to have to work on your mobility. The fact of the matter is that if you can't dodge or move, you're at a major disadvantage for all your battles." Destiny looks a little sad at that. That wasn't your intent. "Don't worry Destiny. I know we can work on it together."

She blows bubbles in happiness again. That gives you another idea. "Destiny, try to blow some bubbles in the air. If you can, make them float as long as possible." Destiny happily complies.

"Now I want you to pop each bubble without using any moves at all."

By now, Vance has stopped training and is watching you and Destiny. She struggles to close the gap between herself and the bubbles. Eventually she manages to slowly hop towards one, and fall over onto it.

"Ok. Good try, good try." You don't want to put her down, but it was a pathetic display.

Vance looks like he wants to say something, but he holds his tongue.

You give Destiny a new task. You tell her to focus on bouncing off of various trees and rocks, with the only goal of getting as much distance as possible. Her progress is slow.

While she's busy doing that, you turn your back to her and get Vance to do the same. You keep your tone hushed. "You look like you want to say something. Got any advice?"

Vance crosses his arms. He looks like you're not sure if you'll like what he has to say. "Your Horsea can move better, but she needs to be motivated. Maybe..."

You arch your eyebrow, urging him to continue.

"Maybe you should have your Magnemite attack her. If she's afraid of his electrical attacks, she'll learn to dodge much quicker."

That sounds a bit harsh. "What if I just toss something harmless she has dodge, like small pebbles or something?"

Vance closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Without any fear, without any pain, it won't be effective."

You've had to deal with abusive caretakers before. The thought of acting like that makes you recoil. You look Vance in anger. "No way. I'm not going to abuse the trust my Pokemon put in me."

He doesn't offer any reaction.

Fear isn't the only motivator. You let Vlad out of his Pokeball. "Alright Vlad. Remember when you were harassing Destiny before?" Vlad looks like you're going to reprimand him, and braces for it. "I want you to do it again." He's confused for a second. "I want you to taunt her into chasing you," you explain. He's perfectly happy to follow that order.

Vlad doesn't wait for you to change your mind. He starts swooshing by Destiny, almost knocking her over with the air he moves. After a few passes, she's had enough and gives chase. She's slow, but she does seem to be moving much faster than before. Then again, that's like saying ketchup moves faster than molasses.

Vlad has to keep flying back within range to keep her angry. Still, slowly but surely, she is making progress. She stumbles over a few rocks, but she gets back up immediately. After a few tumbles, she manages to catch herself without losing much speed.

She's really ramping it up now. Vlad is starting to dodge between trees to make it harder for you. That's not a bad idea either. You grab some of the leftover sticks from the campfire pile and start sticking in the ground. You motion to Vlad to fly through them. Destiny is still much too angry to notice at all.

Vlad makes a pass through with ease. Destiny...not so much. She bangs right into the first one and spins out. Still, she's back in a second and continues her chase. Vlad makes another pass. This time, she does better, but she still struggles to move between the tight spaces. Vlad passes by yet another time now, screeching loudly as he gets closer to her. You're pretty annoyed at that one, so you can't imagine how bad it is for your Horsea.

This time Destiny doesn't immediately give chase. Instead, she hops up as he passes, and bounces off of the tallest stick. It has a little spring to it, and she uses that to propel herself at him at an incredible speed.

There's a solid WHACK as she connects, and they both tumble and roll to the ground. Destiny is back up right away, but Vlad takes a few seconds. After he crawls up from being on his face, he lets out what you can only guess is his equivalent of a laugh. Destinies anger deflates a bit, and eventually she starts to laugh too.

"Good job both of you! Destiny, I'm sorry I had Vlad do that to you, but look what you accomplished! I'm so proud of you!"

Vlad beams with pride. Destiny lets out some small bubbles in happiness.

Vance, who's been watching the whole thing while leaning against a tree, watches without comment. He really can put on a good poker face when he wants to.

"Thanks for the advice," you say, keeping your growing smug feeling in check, "Using another Pokemon was a great motivator."

What you leave out says a lot.

He smirks a bit. "You took a different approach than I expected. I can't really take much credit." He begins to walk back to the camp. "I'm impressed though. It worked well." With that he walks away. You don't think it was condescending or misleading in any way. He really did sound impressed and surprised like he said.

It's hard not to feel a little giddy.

As you make it back closer to the camp, you see Robin is finally up. There's not enough time for you to do much, but you manage to get a few moments with all your Pokemon out, feeding them some quick treats. You let them play with each other a bit while you eat breakfast.

Finally, it's time. Camp is packed up, break time is over. Kindletown is a very short while away.


	8. Thread 8 parts 1 and 2

It's time to hit the road once more. You're eager to get to town, but you know that the odds of finding a trainer on the way are pretty good, and a little practice and hopefully some more money would be great.

Usually when you get closer to a town, the trees should be more sparse. It's the opposite here. The fertile ground and temperate weather combine to create a thick forest.

Despite this, you're still able to spot a small group ahead. Even as you have to squint to see them in the distance through the trees, you can tell they're trainers. Before you're able to do much else, they call out to your party, and run over to catch up.

They introduce themselves, Jacob and Lonny. Jacob is older, about your age. He's clearly got a good amount of experience. Lonny is younger, and doesn't quite look sure of himself. He still has look of a trainer though.

You haven't had a double battle yet. That could be interesting. You float the idea to the two brothers. They both look at each other, then nod in confident agreement.

"OK!" Says Jacob, the older one. "Let's do one Pokemon each."

Sounds fine, you suppose.

Not it's just a matter of deciding who will be your second. You look back at both Vance and Robin. Neither of them volunteers or makes any motion to exclude themselves.

You put your hands on your hips, and post with your head high and your chest out. "What do you say Robin, want to show these guys a thing or two?"

Robin is a bit distracted. She's in her own little world right now. "Oh huh? Me?" She sees the look of determination in your eyes "Oh yeah. Alright!"

Good!

"Oh wait! Hold on a second!" Robin quick takes out her new Geodude, and begins to treat it with a potion. "He hasn't been to a Pokemon center since I caught him," she offers to you.

Lonny looks like he's saying something like 'oh cool! A Geodude!', but Jacob looks a little offended.

You whisper over to her. "Hey Robin, did you flip him the bird or something when I wasn't looking?"

"What? I didn't do-" She looks at him. He's giving her the stink-eye something fierce. "Oh. I know what I did." Robin walks over to Jacob and pulls him aside for a second. After a minute, she comes back to you.

Robin see's that you're not sure what's going on. "It's traditional for both trainers to throw out their Pokemon at the same time to avoid anybody getting an unfair advantage. Depending on the relationship though, it's not always the case. If there's a clear large gap in experience or power, then it's not an insult for a veteran trainer to release their Pokemon first. Most gym leaders release theirs first to any new challengers. Jacob thought I was insulting him as a trainer by revealing Geodude."

There's a lot of pride involved in Pokemon it seems.

Nobody has established a bet yet. By default, it's half your money. You have a decent wad of stolen cash, but you have no money left in your card

You offer a wager of a small bet. Jacob and Lonny both readily agree. You're guessing Jacob doesn't want his little brother to get fleeced by two older trainers. You reflect that you probably have less experience than Lonny though. Robin seems fine with that too.

Robin's Geodude is already out, the other two reach to their sides to throw their Pokemon onto the field

Devon was never healed up from his fight with that ghost Pokemon. Destiny had a pretty intense training session, but isn't injured. Vlad got some exercise today too, but it wasn't enough to be too concerned. Phantump still hasn't been healed after getting caught at all. Zappy Dan hasn't been in a fight in awhile, but he technically hasn't been at the Pokemon center since Novum either.

You throw out Vlad. He gleefully makes a small roll in the air as soon as he's released. He looks excited for the action.

Jacob releases a small, yellow Pokemon. It has some black stripes on it, but it's most noticeable feature is that it has a head shaped like a plug. You wonder if there's a socket that could accommodate it.

Lonny's Pokemon is easier to identify. It's a Ratata, if you remember from the pamphlets.

Both brothers are about to call their moves. Robin's distracted attitude has vanished and been replaced by one of serious concentration. Her eyes aren't on the opponents Pokemon though, she's assessing the battlefield.

Based on what you've learned, yellow Pokemon are usually electric and that's bad news for Vlad, even if it's good news for Geodude.

Before you're even able to act, the small Rattata gets it's order. Quick Attack. It's everything it sounds like. The tiny rodent darts through the air, and slams into Vlad. Vlad's able to take it, but that looked like it had some solid power behind it.

"Vlad! Use Supersonic on...ummm," You pause, but only for a moment. "User Supersonic on that yellow Pokemon!" Right after you say it, it occurs to that Vlad might not understand what yellow is. To your relief, he lets out a high pitched screech at the right one.

"Elekid! Use Low Kick on Geodude!" You hear Jacob command. Elekid looks confused, and instead of striking Geodude, it stubs it's toe on a nearby boulder.

Robin calls out: "Use Mud Sport Geodude!" With that, her Geodude begins to toss up a huge amount of mud into the air. She looks over to you and gives a thumbs up, then turns her attention back to the battle.

"Vlad! Use Leech Life on the same target!" Vlad is quick to comply, but before he's able to move, the little Rattata strikes him again with Quick Attack. That one looked like it hurt, a lot. Vlad steadies his flight and his the Elekid with a Leech Life. He looks a marginal amount better.

Jacob doesn't want to turn his attention away from taking out Geodude. He orders Elekid to use Low Kick again. There's a solid, low whacking noise as Geodude is knocked back a surprising amount. it doesn't look like Elekid was able to shake off his confusion though.

Geodude is slow to steady himself. Robin looks unsure of her next move. You can see the indecision and calculations in her head. She doesn't have long to hesitate, and eventually commits to an action. "Geodude, use Magnitude!"

As soon as Geodude begins the move, Robin's shoulders slump a little in relief. She must not have been sure of Geodude knew that. Your eyes flick back to Geodude in time to see him shake the ground in a mighty rumble.

It's devastating. Elekid is knocked on his feet. Rattata looks hurt as well, but not as much. Both Elekid and Geodude look drained, you doubt they'll last another turn. Vlad and Rattata are hurt as well, but not as much. Still, you could easily see either one of them getting knocked out in a single move.

"Vlad! Hit Rattata with a wing attack!"

Right on queue, Rattata leaps for another quick attack on Vlad. You're both expecting it this time. Vlad makes a move to dodge the attack, but Rattata is just too fast when it's flying through the air. Instead of helping, he's not properly braced for the attack and Rattata is able to get in an intense blow. Vlad goes down.

Lonny cheers in victory as Rattata lands and turns it's attention to Geodude. Out of the corner of our eye though, you're able to see that Vlad didn't hit the ground. He must have had a little extra energy from that Leech Life. He swoops behind the thick trees and quickly comes around. Vlad's wings spread wide as he whooshes as full speed into Rattata. Now it's your turn to cheer, as the small rodent is sent sprawling back.

Elekid is told once more to use Low Kick on Geodude. Jacob seems to think that if he can take Geodude out of the picture, he'll be able to mop you up. The small yellow creature comes running at Geodude, who's still struggling to stay up. There's no way he can dodge this one.

But he didn't have to. Elekid goes for a kick and misses wildly. He strike the ground face first and doesn't get up.

You see a firey aura around Robin. She's very much into this. She doesn't gloat, but there's joy in her eyes. "Geodude! Now's our chance! Use Magnitude one more time!" Lonny's Pokemon is just getting to it's feet after Vlad's attack. This time magnitude seems way less powerful, you note. Still, it's enough, Rattata is knocked out!

Both Vlad and Geodude are barely up, but victory is yours.

The excitement is just too much. You run over to Robin and give her a huge, powerful hug. There's an almost indistinguishable blush, but she hugs you right back, and you both give small, excited jumps.

"That was a great move using Supersonic," she says with an almost uncharacteristic enthusiasm and confidence. You pat her on the back and give her your own compliment. "That Mud Sport was brilliant! And Magnitude really saved the day!"

Vance, who was watching the entire thing with interest, gives a nod of approval.

You and Robin head over to the two brothers. Jacob is consoling Lonny, who's trying not to show his tears. Their attention turns to you as you walk up. "That was a good match," you say to Lonny. "You almost had us, it was really close" Robin adds.

Lonny wipes way his tears while still trying to hide them. He doesn't really succeed at either, but nobody comments on it. He does smile back at you though. "Thanks! Zubats are really cool! I want to catch one!" You jokingly return Vlad and make an overt motion to hide the Pokeball from Lonny. Jacob pats him on the back and you all share a small laugh. After that, another round of compliments. Jacob is impressed with Robin's use of Mud Sport, and she's impressed with him adapting and using Low Kick.

As you're all huddle in fairly close now, you realize you could probably easily swipe something from Jacob's pocket. His clothes are loose and impracticable.

You decide it's not worth the risk. They'd probably figure out it was you after. Besides, you just won a little money, and they seem like decent people.

You look at Robin as she laughs. You even glance over at Vance as he's ready his backpack to move on. There are other reasons too, you suppose.

Everyone exchanges goodbyes and you hit the road once more.

It doesn't take long to arrive. The view of Kindletown from this small hilltop is as refreshing as the cool breeze. The trees here grow thick, but not intrusive. You've only been to Kindletown a few times in your life, either to sneak away from the orphanage for a long time, or as part of a very rare field trip to the local museum.

Even you know that Kindletown gets it's name from it's logging industry. It's a small but hearty town. It's only southbound road eventually reaches Novum, your hometown. The fresh smell of trees and earth reminds you of Robin, except without the flowery touch.

Even though Robin looks generally happy to be home, but that soon gives way to an aura of anxiety. You can see her fidgeting with her fingers.

Vance has that stupid grin of his. It's one of the few expressions he has where it's easy to read. When he has that smile, he seems annoyingly optimistic about every little thing.

All of your Pokemon have seen a good about of action, it's probably a good idea to get them healthy and fighting fit.

You all make your way down to the Pokecenter. You, Robin, and Vance each submit your Pokeballs to the nurse. She quotes you on roughly a two hour wait.

The sign over her shoulder says that this Pokecenter offers free showers, lodgings, and even free food for trainers. You can barely make out faded graffiti on the sign saying that the food 'sux rapidash dongs'.

Vance excuses himself and heads over to the computer. He says he's making a call to his sister.

You figure you'll take a shower first. The trip has been long and you just need to feel clean again. After that, lunch sounds nice, and maybe you'll ask Robin if the museum is worth visiting or if there's anything better in town. You'll need to stock up first though.

You're eyes meet Robin's as she looks from the sign to you. All it takes is for her to see wicked grin on your face for her to exchange one type of nervousness for another. You swear, the poor girl is going to develop an ulcer or something. You grab her hand and drag her the desk to get some locker keys, and then to the showers.

It looks a lot better inside than outside. It's basically just an upgraded version of the same showers in Novum. There's a large, open area, as well as smaller stalls for privacy. Robin begins to head one of the private stalls.

You walk along side Robin to the stall. "Oh relax. It's nothing I haven't seen before."

She tenses, and her eyes suddenly become wide. "B-Bbut Robin, that was different.." she starts. That's right, calling you Robin too when you're alone is her little joke. You learn in close "Oh? I suppose an innocent shower really doesn't compare to a night of drunken, topless fun." You're practically whispering into her ear as the sentence drags. Her face turns that fun little shade of red again.

You hear other people coming into the showers now too. Robin looks even more flustered. She's aware of how this might look. She slams the stall door closed as they approach. Her relief only lasts an instant before she realizes that you're in the stall with her.

"Why Robin, how aggressive~"

She quickly tries to put her hand over your mouth in order to silence you. Now you can see her entire body turn red as she's pressed up against you. To her credit, she manages to keep her hands over your mouth, and then slowly removes them. She's giving you a funny look. It's a mix of pleading and threatening.

You can hear idle chatter in the shower and the sounds of taps turning on.

"I'll be good," you wink at her.

She lets her hands down completely. You both might as well start the shower while you're in here though, not like you can leave any time soon. There's not that much room the maneuver.

To your surprise, Robin very quietly suggests you wash each others hair and backs. To be fair though, it really is the only way the job is going to get done without awkwardly elbowing everything. She washes your back first. Her small hands delicately but thoroughly wash your hands. You suppress the urge to let out a whimpering coo as her hands fingers run through your hair and massage your scalp. You did promise to stop after all, even if it might not be just teasing her.

You change positions and run your hands up her. It's not sensual, but it's not entirely clinical either. Just bordering on plausible deniability. Your hands run through her short, soft red hair and by now she seems a little more relaxed. This is nice. It's not even 'niiiice', but just plain comfortable.

Neither of you are sure when the noise from outside stopped. Slowly, you peak over and see that you and Robin are alone again.

You make your break from the towels and toss her one. As you're both drying off, she gives you an appreciative smile, but then looks down on the ground, flushed. "Thanks." She says.

You both exit out of the shower without saying anything else. You feel very refreshed, but your stomach is grumbling. Robin must have heard that, because she turns to you. "Lunch time?" You nod in agreement.

Vance seems to be waiting, flipping through a magazine. Robin invites him to join the two of you in the cafeteria. You collect your trays of 'food' and make your way to an empty table.

Your arm is looking much better now, and besides being hungry, you feel great. Vance said he'd make sure you're OK, but now what?

"So Vance, what are you plans now?" You play with your food a bit, trying to act casual. "Now that you've kept your promise and all."

He takes a big swig of his water. He's thinking about it, or maybe stalling. "Well, I'm not sure to be honest. My sister invited me to come visit home in Braundalin City. I'm considering it."

You lean in inquisitively. There's more information here. "But?"

"But I haven't made much progress with my training yet." He sighs. "My methods haven't paid off as much as I'd like. I want to come home with something to show for my time." He looks back up at you. "When I saw how you handled training your Horsea, I realized how ineffective I've been." For the first time, hes neither stupidly happy or unreadable. There's a loss of pride in his voice.

Robin looks a little busy with her food. She must be uncomfortable with the confession he's making.

"Well..." you twirl your fork, "Maybe I could help you out."

He looks you in the eyes, looking for the trap or joke, but at the time not dismissing you outright.

"I could train you, I mean."

Robin is listening intently, but still concentrating very hard on drinking her water.

"It's the least I could do." You finish. He can finally sense that you're being serious, and it's probably not an offer that will last very long. "I," he starts, considering his options. He looks at his reflection in the cafeteria window, then turns to you again. "I accept."

"Good! But it's not a free ride. Firstly, I'll need you to do everything I say." You make sure he looks you in the eyes for emphasis. "Everything."

He nods in agreement. He must assume you can be trusted with such a thing. He might not be as bright as you thought.

"Second, you're paying for my food."

Robin stops drinking and gives you a disapproving look. "Kat."

"OK fine," you reply to her. She continues to drink her water. "You're paying for Robin too." Robin starts choking on her water. She's unable to object with her new coughing fit.

"Third," You decide to wrap this up before Robin recovers. Vance braces himself. "When you and I have accomplish our goals, I'm challenging you to an all out battle."

He lets out a hearty laugh. He gets up from the table, and gives you a polite bow. "I better agree before you add anything else." He jokes. "Thank you, Kat."

"Alright alright. Don't get all weird on me." You dismissively wave him off. Robin looks happy, if uncomfortable to have Vance now be burdened with feeding her.

You look him over as he and Robin chat. He might not be a whole lot of fun, but you figure you can put him to good use. It might not be as easy as Robin (who is?) but with a little effort, you can wrap him around your finger. He's already become your new meal ticket. You hope it's worth any trouble he might be, as you watch him and Robin getting along.

"So how do you learn 'Pokemon styles' anyway?" He immediately drops his conversation with Robin. It seems that's ignited a passion in him. He describes how each Pokemon has a different way of moving, acting, and approaching things. "Machop is fairly easy. He's my only Pokemon, but we both have a similar body type, and outlook on life." You nod. That makes sense. "I've trained in the Arbok style," Me mimics the movement of a snake, and rapidly swipes a few bits of food off his place. "I've trained in the Bidoof," he demonstrates by doing a spinning kick in the air. Even without any martial arts knowledge, you can see a unique way that he moves, almost making his leg seem like a tail. "And I've studied the Bullet seed of the of the Hoppip." He puts the food in his mouth, and spits out seeds like a machine gun at the coincidental crosshair on a poster across the room.

He demonstrates various Pokemon Martial arts for awhile, and surprising yourself, you're already thinking of ways he can improve them. He still looks like an idiot, but he's an idiot you might be able to use. And maybe help out a little. Maybe.

But there'll be time for that later. You remember that you wanted to get some Pokemon supplies.

You decide to sell the nugget.

"So you said you just found this in a cave with your Zubat?" Uh oh, he looks skeptical. "Huh. I knew there was a reason those scientists want to get back to digging the place up." Phew. "Listen, kid, I'll take this, but there isn't a cave around that you should be venturing into." You nod, and thank him for the advice. He offers a price that matches almost exactly what you expected. You're a bit familiar with the price of gold and jewelry, and this is better than what a fence could probably offer.

"So, you want that on your card, or did you want to spend it all here?"

The store has all sorts of Pokemon related things. There are Pokeballs, potions, antidotes, paralyze heals, burn heals, and even something call an Escape Rope. As far as you can tell, that's just a regular rope with better branding and a higher price though.

You spend a little over half the nuggets worth, leaving you with a small but comfortable amount of digital currency.

You're able to get 6 pokeballs, 2 more potions, 2 paralyze heals, a burn heal, another antidote, and an escape rope.

As you ring everything up, the nurse announces that your Pokemon are fully healed.

You turn to Vance. "If you want to study how Pokemon move, there are two options: Observe them in the wild, or capture them and watch them fight. The latter is easier. Here!" You give him a newly-purchased Pokeball. "Go and catch a new Pokemon, one you haven't seen before. Don't worry, you can pay me for the ball later." With that, Vance takes his leave. He'll be out of your hair for awhile.

They don't carry sleeping bags or all that much for trainers here, but that does beg the question, where to next?

You decide to head over to the museum. Robin doesn't seem like she's in any particular hurry to go visit her dad, and you guess you aren't either right now. Your memories of the orphanage trip are vague and hazy. It looks different than what you can recall, but it's been a long time.

"This is one of my favorite places" Robin tells you. Well, that not a huge surprise, she's certainly the type.

As you two get closer to the building, you see a sign saying that a new entrance fee as been implemented. "They never used to have that" Robin comments.

It doesn't looks like there's a lot of security. You might be able to just sneak in.

You're feeling generious. That nugget got you some decent money, and you have the stolen cash still. You tell Robin to put her money away, you have this one. It's a small price to pay to see her smile in appreciation.

The door person thanks you for your patronage as you make your way in. Robin looks like a giddy little schoolgirl. She shows you all around, explaining her favorite exhibits. Most of it would be pretty boring, but her passion for the subjects makes them stick out. You get to the fossil wing. She starts explaining how the museum has these machines for reviving old fossils into real life Pokemon. There's one that sticks out. Appearantly it's called a Cranidos. There's a model of the Pokemon and a fossil behind a glass case that looks familiar. You reach into your bag and pull out the fossil you 'found' in the caves. It's almost an exact match.

"YOU!" A man in a labcoat yells over to you "Wait right there! Please, may I see that?" Robin quickly ducks behind an exhibit.

You look at Robin. She better just be hiding out from her Dad, and not ashamed to be seen with you or something.

"This old thing? Sure! In fact, that's why I came here. I heard you guys are able to revive fossils like this. Could you really make it into a living, breathing Pokemon?" You try to sound more enthusiastic than you are.

He inspects it and adjust his glasses. "Yes. Why yes we can. If you'd like, I can them right now."

You casually glance over to Robin again. She's doing her best not to look like she's hiding. You mouth 'you owe me' to her before agreeing to following the man.

He leads you passed several doors that make it clear they're for employees only. Finally, you reach a dark, modern looking lab. The only thing that keeps it from looking sleek too is all the cables and tubes strung all over the place. He beams with pride. "Here they are. Aren't they something else?" He sighs. "It wasn't easy, but getting these babies to work the very first time is still one of my fondest memories. Still, you don't want to hear an old man ramble. I suppose you're here to see if you can get that fossil revived?"

You not your head.

"Well certainly. There's just the small matter of the fee." He gives you a pitch that the machines are expensive and that the museum needs upkeep. The price he's telling you would be pretty much all over your remaining money, including the cash.

"Of course, if that's not something you'd like to do, you can always sell us the fossil." He offers twice as much as the nuggets worth.

You think long and hard about it, and decide that you just have to have that Pokemon. But you're a bit of a hustler too. "Say," you coyly say to the older scientist. "Would you be willing to take a little off that price if I gave you this?"

You offer up the fire stone you got from Robin. She's not using it anymore, and you don't have any Pokemon it works on. Besides, Novum has them for sale, you can probably find another if you really need to.

"Well, certainly," the man says. "It's a little unusual, but I just can't turn down a good stone." Judging from the display cases full of various stones, fossils, shards and more, he's telling the truth.

He takes the fossil and most, but not all of your money.

This process takes about a day or so. Please come back in about 24 hours, and we'll have a brand new Pokemon here waiting for you." He puts the fossil in a machine and starts plugging away at the computer. He must be expecting you to show yourself out.


	9. Thread 9 parts 1 and 2

You palm a small fossil. It's hard to describe the shape, but if you had to guess, it's almost like a jaw.

Just as you're making your exit you hear the professor say something, although he doesn't turn to look at you. "Young lady," his words linger in the air for what feels like a long time. "When you come back, just come directly to me. If one of the other staff members asks, just tell them you have an appointment and that I'm expecting you."

Maybe it's just because your heart is beating a mile a minute, or maybe it's something else, but something about the way he said that sounded off.

He doesn't say anything else though, and you make your way out.

Robin is easy to spot just outside the museum entrance. She's trying to not be seen, which makes her stick out much worse than if she was just casually hanging around.

You ask her why she hid.

"'Doctor' Hornbeam is a hack!" She says. It's loud enough to show her contempt, but still quiet enough that she's obviously careful nobody else can hear. "His research doesn't make any sense! I'm positive he's stolen research from at least one of Professor Fir's papers, but I can't prove it." She must be pretty passionate about the scientific community.

"That still doesn't explain why you hid," you comment.

"He's also… He's a bit of a creep." She looks at her feet. "He's also an associate of my dad. I don't know what they do together exactly. Whatever it is, he keeps me out. He keeps me out of a lot of things. I just don't want dad to know I'm back until I visit. He's already probably mad I've taken so long."

The self-conscious way she was hiding then, and even now, is just embarrassing to you. It just won't do at all. "Well if you want to hide from people, you can't look like it. You have to act like you belong so you don't stick out. Here, watch me."

You see a group of people head into the museum, and join their crowd. As they pay to get in, you shift your way in closer, making it look like your having a conversation with them.

A few minutes later, you return back to Robin. "It's all about confidence." She nods her understanding.

You explain what happened after you followed Dr. Hornbeam. When you get to the part about paying for the revival, Robin's expression turns from passive listening to shock. "The Pokemon League reimburses museums for fossil revivals." She tells you. "It's supposed to encourage bringing back rare species. They're not supposed to charge for it."

That son of a bitch!

You should report him! Or maybe that's not a good idea. You feel the heavy stolen fossil in your pocket.

You sigh, releasing your anger as best as you can. "We'll deal with that tomorrow. It's time you saw your dad."

Robin hesitates, and things it over. Finally, she gives a gesture of affirmation. It's obviously forced though.

The inside of the gym is typically steamy. There are a handful of people shuffling out from the bleachers. The arena has rocks scattered about, several feet high. Some piles of rubble and small craters are also littering the field. It looks like there was a pretty intense battle here. Your eyes widen slightly as you notice jets and walls of fire shooting up grates on the ground periodically.

"Robin!" A gruff booming voice shouts out. "You've certainly taken your time. Tell me, how is your little Flareon doing?" An older, heavy set man gestures to her from across the arena. There's a good distance between where you're standing and him, but you can hear him clear as day. The sizzling anger in his tone gives his words a biting edge.

Robin hesitates. She's not sure how to respond. She looks to you.

You put your hand on her shoulder. "Be firm" you say quietly. She looks appreciative, and loosens her shoulders a bit.

Her father's Houndour comes walking out from behind him. As it spots her, it runs over. There's a slight but noticeable limp to the way it moves. With your words and this scene, Robin gathers her courage. "I'm not evolving Eevee into a Flareon. He doesn't want to."

It's easy to see that her father isn't used to not getting his way. "What?"

"I don't want to evolve Eevee. And for that matter, I don't want to help you with this stupid gym anymore!"

"You have a legacy to uphold. You have a duty to me and this gym."

"What about your duty? Look at the limp on Houndour! How many matches was he in today?"

His face is flushed with rage. The color of his face is the same as Robin gets, but the look of him makes it feel wrong. "ENOUGH! I won't-"

"NO!" Robin cuts him off. "It's never enough, is it? They do everything for you. They give it their best every day and you just demand more without a second thought. They put their dreams aside and you just stomp on them!"

It doesn't sound like it's about his Pokemon anymore.

"Robin! I am your father! You-"

She cuts him off again. "My father died when my mom left!"

There's a stunned silence.

You put your hand on her shoulder, then he turns his attention on you. "What ideas has this little gutter trash been filling your head with?"

Robin looks angrier than you ever see her. "You do not get to talk to my friend that way! You think you're so tough? You think the league is going to take you? I bet I could beat you right-"

You gentle stop her, and step forward.

"Nothing whatsoever." You answer his question calmly. "The words were hers. You do a pretty good job of dissuading her all by yourself." You turn to her. "The only trash I see here used to play at being this girl's father. Apparently it doesn't even bother with that pretense any longer. Come on Robin. He's not worth out time."

She begins to follow you out, but then stops. "Wait." She walks back to her father.

"Good," he says. "I'm glad to see you've come to your senses. We'll discuss this-" He stops as she reaches him. She grabs a Pokemon from her belt and points it at her fathers. Wordlessly, she returns it to the Pokeball, and walks back to you. Without stopping or looking, she tosses a key backwards.

You both exit the gym. Her face is expressionless.

You walk with her. She doesn't say anything or give any indication of what's in her head right now. Her pace is brisk, and even with her short legs, you almost have trouble keeping up.

You're almost out of town by the time she stops. It's a wooded area. Under other circumstances, you're sure it would look pretty, but not now.

The silence is broken as she lets out a scream and kicks a tree. She hit's it a few more times before she breaks down sobbing. You decide a hug is probably the best thing you can offer right now. You walk in behind her and embrace her. She breaks away to your surprise, but then you see it was only so she could face you and hug you back.

Once again, her tears stain your shirt.

After what seems like a bittersweet eternity, she looks up to you. "What am I going to do now?"

"Whatever you want." She hugs you closely once more. Her face is hot against your chest. "you are a smart girl. You have a lot more options than I do. You are smart enough and pretty enough you could do whatever you wanted. Just remember that your father should not dominate the decision; this is for you, not for, in spite of, or caused by him".

Despite the seriousness of the moment, you can't help but feel like you're becoming quite the sage since you started your journey.

The mental image of you dressing in a robe and lecturing people while stroking a fake beard doesn't have time to fully form as Robin asks, "Can I travel with you until I decide?"

You can't help but let out a laugh. You thought that was a given. You hug her back in affirmation. "You can travel with me as long as you'd like."

It's getting late.

You tell her you should probably get back the Pokecenter. She agrees. Houndour is still hurt, after all.

Before you get there though, you spot a little ice cream shop. It takes literally every last bit of money you had, but it's worth it to get her some comfort food.

It's very dark now, and the street lights guide you the rest of the way back to the Pokemon center. Vance is nowhere to be found here. You two are barely in time to get the last beds. They're pretty small and cramped, but you're no stranger to that, and it's still probably better than outside.

"Do you think Vance is alright?" Robin asks. You had expected to see him here.

"He'll be fine," you assure her, "He's massive, and you saw his moves today."

She smiles as you try to imitate his moves and muscles. She seems satisfied with this answer. It's been a very long day, and a long week in general for her. She drifts off to sleep easily. Once again, you reflect on how cute she is when she's sleeping.

You don't remember exactly when you drifted off yourself. You're awakened by the shuffling of people. As your eyes slowly open, you see Robin standing above you. She hands you a smoothie. "The cafeteria is still pretty packed, so I brought you this from across the street."

It's as sweet as the gesture she made.

As a habit, you check all your stuff to make sure nothing is missing. Of course nothing is, but you like to be careful.

You've got some business down at the museum you want to settle first.

Before you head off, you ask the nurse if she's seen Vance. He's easy to describe, but the nurse is positive she hasn't seen anyone like that come in over the night. You didn't let Robin hear you ask, since she'd only worry anyway.

On the way over to the museum, you ask Robin about the Pokemon you fought the other day. An Elekid, right? You both read the pamphlets for a short bit as she explains about it, and a little more about the basics. You don't have time to absorb much though.

You arrive outside the museum. The fossil still feels heavy in your pocket, even though you know it isn't.

You and Robin make your way passed the front desk person, explaining you have an appointment. Apparently they're expecting you, because you're waved right through. Robin waves a greeting, she must know this employee.

As you and Robin approach the room you left the scientist in yesterday, you're able to make out some angry yelling. You open the door to discover the place is a mess. It looks like a Rhyhorn went on a rampage.

A young assistant, who was trying to to calm down a clearly furious Dr. Hornbeam, notices the two of you.

You explain your presence, "I'm here to collect a revived Pokemon."

The assistant nods. He's doing his best to pretend that there isn't a furious scientist behind him. "I'm afraid the machines have had a malfunction." There's a crash and a series of expletives. You peer past the assistant and see that a baseball bat must've 'malfunctioned' the hell out of the thing.

"Of course, we'll return your fossil." He retrieves the Skull Fossil from the broken machine. Luckily it looks intact. He hands it back over to you, looking apologetic. That's weird, he didn't mention a refund for the fee. He looks way too self-conscience to be trying to rip you off. At least you think so.

"What about the fee?" You ask.

"Where is it!" Dr. Hornbeam yells in the back. He's frantically looking around, and then finally notices you. You can see a sudden realization come to him. He rushes over. This does not look good. You get ready to make a break for it.

"Fee?" The assistant looks genuinely puzzled. "I'm sorry, I don't know what fee you're talking about."

Dr. Hornbeam suddenly stops dead in his tracks as he gets close enough to hear what you're talking about. His anger is replaced with fear. The assistant is looking at you, and hasn't noticed him yet.

"He charged me a lot of money to revive this fossil. He said it was for the museum!" You put all the attention on him. Robin and the assistant turn to face the doctor.

Dr. Hornbeam is floored. He looks almost betrayed. You guess by the look in his eyes, he thought you two might have been able to work out an understanding. "Is this true, doctor?" The assistant asks. You can tell by the tone that he's surprised, but not that surprised. Hornbeam must have a reputation. He starts stammering in response.

This is your chance. You drop the fossil out of your pocket, and give it a swift, light kick before it hits the ground. It hits a sweater on the ground next to a knocked over coat rack.

"You can't trust her! She- She stole the fossil. The jaw fossil I've been looking for."

The assistant looks serious. "Dr. Hornbeam. There is no jaw fossil registered in the inventory."

Hornbeam is stunned as he realizes his mistake. "I-I-was going to register it! It just came in! It-it was a donation." The assistant and Robin aren't buying it.

"Is that it?" You say with your hands behind your back. You point your head to where the fossil landed, trying to act as innocent as possible.

All three look at the fossil on top of the sweater. There's no explanation Hornbeam can offer. The assistant picks it up and examines it. Robin moves in close to look at it as well.

"No...No...No NO NO NO NONO! Years of dedication!" Hornbeam has completely lost it now. He throws out a pokeball that releases a Magnezone. "Thunderbolt!" He points to the wall. Magnezone blasts hole, just large enough for him and it to start run through. You reflect on how completely unnecessary that was. But hey, you're not a scientist.

You give chase. Robin is close behind. The assistant yells out to wait, but you don't listen.

He and his Pokemon duck into the surrounding forest. Robin curses the economic circumstances that led to Kindletown becoming so logging dependent, but it seems out of place given the situation. She's such a nerd.

"No! Stay away!" The doctor yells. His pointing is all his Magnezone needs, as it fires another thunderbolt in your direction, narrowly missing Robin. The tree struck blows bark in all directions. This is dangerous. The surrounding grass sizzles. This is really dangerous.

The urge the follow is strong, but you figure this is just too much. As you see bits of bark fly into Robin's hair, you start to slow down, the slow. Robin is only a small bit behind you, and catches up quickly. You stop her with your arm

"Aren't we going after him?" She asks between breathes.

You're not winded, but you do feel drained after seeing her come close to eating that bolt. "It's too dangerous. Let the police handle this."

The assistant is looking out from the hole in the wall when you get back. "Are you two OK?" You and Robin both assure him that you're fine. You pull a bit of bark out her hair without her noticing. Did she even realize how close that was?

"I've called the police. They should be here any minute. I'm so sorry about all of this." He looks mortified at the entire ordeal. "I knew he had some issues, but I never imagined..." He trails off.

The police arrive quickly. You and Robin are questioned about the events together with the assistant. It's an odd feeling, being on this side of a police report. Robin tries to emphasize that his crimes also extend to stealing research and plagiarism, but the police either don't care or follow her explanation. The police wrap things up and tape off the area. You're both free to go about your business.

After you both make leave outside of earshot of the police, Robin turns to you. "That jaw fossil he was talking about," she takes a minute to work up her nerve. "Did you...?"

This is hard. Her look is hopeful, like she's willing to accept whatever lie you give her. "I took it", you say flatly. Usually she's the one avoiding your gaze, but not this time.

"I didn't trust the guy! He ripped me off after all. He was shady! He stole from me first!" You look for an excuse. She listens to everything you say, right?

Robin stares back at you. "You didn't know that until after."

"I... I just took it out of habit. A reflex to running low on money. I don't even know why I did it, since I knew I'd be coming back there the next day. I think I might actually have kind of a problem." You stammer out. Why are you stammering? You were always able to stay cool under pressure when you've been caught doing bad things before.

Robin doesn't take any of it. "Yeah. You have a problem. You lied to me."

"Well, technically I didn't really lie, I just didn't-" She doesn't stay to listen. She walks away, back to the Pokemon center.

The walk is quiet and uncomfortable. You struggle to come up with something to say to her to make it all better, but the words just don't form. As you get closer, you see there's a commotion outside the building. There's a crowd obstructing your view, but as you and Robin push through the crowd, you're able to see what the fuss is about.

There's Vance, making his way to the Pokecenter, with a gigantic bear looking Pokemon in a headlock. His clothes are nearly torn to shreds. Scars cover his body, and a layer of caked blood and dirt cover his skin. He takes one step at a time, dragging the exhausted creature with him. As he spots you, he yells out. "I caught one! The Pokeball didn't work, but I caught it!"

That's not at all what you meant.

Robin is shocked, but still moves away from you to inside the Pokemon center.

You toss him one of your Pokeballs. You've already lost a lot of money and you're usually very tight when it comes to giving anything away, but you just don't really care about that right now. "Try again, it's probably weakened."

Vance catches the the Pokeball, but only too late does he realize the mistake of letting go. He's suddenly tackled from behind by the giant beast. A crowd forms around. Usually trainers are a lot more helpful, right? They all seem to be cheering or placing bets.

You head after Robin in the Pokemon center. It takes a little effort to find her back at the beds, but it's easy to move around in the building since almost everyone is outside.

"Look, Robin," You begin.

"Can't you take a hint?" She's crying. You didn't even notice. "Go away!"

You want to reach out, hug her or tease her or something. Slowly, you turn away. There's a very strong lump in your throat. You walk out of the Pokemon center, out passed the crowds watching Vance's wrestling match with the large Pokemon. Eventually you find yourself at the same place Robin went after the encounter with her dad.

You're alone now. Very alone. It's just unbearable.

Devon always loyal and friendly. He won't judge you. He won't make you regret showing weakness, right? You release him from his Pokeball. It seems like a lot of effort.

He looks ready for battle when he comes out. After a second of looking around, he sees there are no enemies here. Just you. Alone. Sitting against a tree in the light moss. He makes his way over to you and licks your face. Even with how terrible you feel, you still let out a laugh at how much it tickles. He looks up to you, like he has a question. Maybe he wants to know how to make you happy.

"I don't know." You start scratching him behind the ears. "I just don't know what I'm doing lately. Should I have just lied? Should I have just not taken anything to begin with?"

You thought making friends was hard. Losing friends is much harder. Is she lost? Devon still stares at you, looking for an answer. You look back at him.

"Maybe this whole friends thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe I would be better off on my own. Well with only you guys." Devon just stares. You don't know how much of what you're saying is getting through to him.

You take out your flute. That's how you caught Devon. His ears perk up as he sees you take it out.

You play. At first your breath is shallow. After a short while though, you begin to lose yourself in it. You play out everything you wish you could say to him. You play about your dream, how you feel worthless, that you might like Robin, everything. Everything you're feeling and everything you've felt comes out. You don't even hear the music anymore, you just feel it.

Devon is curled up beside you as you finish up. His warm body feels comforting against your skin. The slow, steady rhythm of his breathing reflects your much calmer, more relaxed state.

You know what you're going to do now.

You consider moving on. Maybe people don't let you down, maybe it's the opposite.

No, you're going to head back and talk to Robin. That's what friends do, right? You're a bit new to this. You and Devon make your way back the Pokemon center, giving him the occasional flute melody as you walk. He reacts differently to each note. It's almost like your own secret code.

Before you're all the way back though, you take out a bottle from your bag and give it a decent chug. You wipe your mouth with your sleeve. This won't be easy. You have no idea what you're going to say.

You make your way passed the crowds around Vance. Looks like he won. The entrance is loaded with people trying to talk to him, or talk about what he did. You don't even consider how easy crowds like this are to pickpocket. He laughs jovially and doesn't notice you.

Robin is still at her bed in the dormitory. despite it being so early in the day. She's rigged up it up so the bunk has a blanket sheltering her from the rest of the room.

"What?" You hear, muffled through the blankets.

You're more concerned about how she's doing than how you're doing. It's a strange, new sensation. "How are you doing? After the thing with your dad and all." In a way, she's just as much an orphan as you now.

Her little makeshift curtain peels back by a sliver. She's not just letting you see her. She's letting down her defenses, and letting you in, just a little. "I...don't know." She says. She looks like she's struggling for more, but she can't seem to add anything else. She's at a loss for words. She can see that you're able to read her, even through the dim light of her tiny fortress. She sighs and rips the blanket down. She doesn't seem to have more to say on the matter, not because she's mad, but because she just doesn't know.

"Look," You start. You're not sure where you're going. "Robin, I'm sorry I lied." You take a seat on the best next to hers.

She stops playing with the edge of her pillow, and looks you in the eyes.

"And I'm sorry I stole. I mean, I know that wasn't really to get by. I just do things like that sometimes." She can see the confusion in your face. "I can't promise I'll never do it again, but I can promise I won't lie to you. And I'll work on it." Even though you're just laying it out, and not trying to say what you think she wants to hear, it's clear she wanted to hear that. "I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm new to having friends. To trusting people."

Before you can start rambling too much, Robin stands up. She gives you a gentle hug. It's your turn to stain her shirt now. You can't help it. The tears just flow. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you hope people are too busy in the main lobby to come see you, but it's just a passive though, and not very important right now. After a few more minutes, you pull away and look her in the eyes. "Are we still traveling together?"

She doesn't laugh, even though you can tell she thinks it's a silly question. "Of course." She wipes away the tears from your face. "Of course."

You don't know what to do or say. You just let it out some more into her chest. She strokes your hair gently. No more words are needed. You feel that right now, you can say whole novels in a single glance.

After a good, long while, you finally slowly get up. You both let the private moment fly away, and allow the world around you to seep in once more. You reach to your head and grab hand from on top of your hair. You don't push it off, you just hold it, and grab the map that's laying on her bed. She must have been studying it before you came in.

"So, I guess we just have to figure out where we're going next." You say. The map outlines the local area. Kindletown, Aquapolis, and Chloroville. She looks in your eyes and can see a lot of the information on it is new to you.

"All three of the cities play up the obvious rivalry implied in the names. It's actually a tourism/marketing gimmick to get people riled up for competitions and things like that."

She points to the city to the north. "That's Aquapolis. The 'polis' makes it sound like a sprawling cityscape with massive buildings, honking traffic, and crowds of people scurrying about. Really though, Aquapolis is a medium sized mountain town, it's most famous for it's hot springs."

Her small, slender finger drags on the map over to the large city in the east."Chloroville is actually is a sprawling metropolis. It was founded on nearly worthless swampland, but it's been expanding and booming ever since it was established." You look at her in surprise. She's a walking encyclopedia. "Must be something in the water there."

"I don't think Vance will care. Either way is about equal distance to Braundalin City"

She looks you in the eyes again. "I'll go wherever you go." You have to remind yourself that the time for tears and dopey emotions has passed.

I love Vance. Looking back, he's probably my favorite character.


	10. Thread 10

There will be swampland, which means you'll likely run into some specific types of Pokemon. Water types, bug types, grass types for sure. There's a scenic boat tour of a lake that's not too far off the main road, but that might be pricey.

"Chloroville sounds like it would be fun. Professor Fir also said that the starter Pokemon and his equipment was stolen between here and there." Robin agrees, even if she's surprised to hear about that. As you two go over the best route, you can't help but feel a bit foolish for being so emotional not so long ago. It's strange how quickly the world can change based on how you look at it.

The crowd in the lobby has mostly disbursed. Vance is sleeping on one of the couches. He's had a pretty intense night, you suppose. It looks like he'll be out for awhile. You can see the Pokemon center staff want to wake him up to move him to the beds, but nobody seems willing to disturb the large truck of a man.

Boy, you remind yourself. He may look big, and have a pretty well defined jawline (and everything else) but he's still roughly your age. It's easier to remember that when he's talking about martial arts.

The trip will take a few days. It doesn't look like there will be as many distractions between here and Chloroville, but the distance is a little longer. Better be prepared.

You and Robin head over to the museum. You want to see if you can get some compensation for the money you lost. The assistant you saw earlier greets you, and invites you to a private office. "I'm glad you two came. I wanted to apologize again for what happened here the other day."

Robin's presence feels uncomfortable to you. This is still probably a touchy subject. "I'm sorry too." you mutter under your breath.

Robin interjects over you though. "It's alright. I know Dr. Hornbeam isn't a great example of the scientific community." She shakes his hand. "Mr...?"

The assistant laughs. "No mister. Just Franklin. Franklin Maple." He shakes Robin's hand, then yours. His hands are strong and confident despite his slightly awkward mannerisms. "I'm happy to hear you feel that way." Oh? Where is he going with this, you wonder. "Dr. Hornbeam's actions are going to damage this institution more than I care to think. Some of our more...influential patrons have asked that we try to keep stories from spreading too far. They feel it's not right for one bad apple to stain the reputation of this museum when it's been otherwise spotless." He takes two papers from his desk, and hands them to each of you. "They wanted me to ask if you'd be willing to sign an agreement not to discuss what happened with any news outlets. They also wanted me to make sure you were compensated for your troubles."

He's clearly not happy to be in this position. He almost seems to wipe his hands on his coat after he hands the papers over. With a sigh, he starts to take out a device similar to the ones the Pokemon center stores have for exchanging funds between cards. You see him key in an amount that's just slightly less than what you lost.

Robin doesn't look happy about the situation either, but you figure she'll probably do whatever is best for the museum.

You hesitate to sign it. Robin reads it over. Then again. Then one more time. She's fast. She can see the question in your eyes and gives you a nod and a thumbs up. She takes out her own pen and signs it.

"It's fine. It's actually not that bad at all. Really you can even talk to media, as long as you don't provide a signed statement to them, technically, even then there's some wiggle room."

Franklin goes from uncomfortable to surprised. He grabs her signed paper and reads it over to himself. You take the pen out of his hand, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Wait a second. "The fossil, the one Hornbeam accused me of stealing," Robin gives you a look. "Can I have that too? I mean, it wasn't the museum's right?"

Franklin stops reading. "I completely forgot to report that to the police," you hear him mutter under his breath. "Umm, yeah, sure. That's OK by us." He begins to hand it over. He doesn't have the same skeezy vibe as Hornbeam, he just seems very absentminded.

Robin stops him. "Wait, this doesn't do us any good until it's revived. Can you hold onto it until you can revive it, then send it to us? And the other one too?" That makes sense. Franklin agrees readily enough too.

"It may be awhile though. The machines we use were all damaged. I trust you'll be checking in to Pokemon centers regularly. I'll send it to you as soon as it's ready to whatever center you're at. But I should warn you, be careful. These Pokemon may be a bit hard to handle."

With that, you sign the paper.

"That was a good idea about the fossils" you say to Robin. She gives you that look again. "Are you mad?"

She stares for a second, but then rolls her eyes in an expression that seems to say 'oh you'. "I'm not mad. The whole point of the revivals is to try to re-introduce ancient Pokemon. It'd be good for them to go to a nice trainer." She smiles at you. "The money we got is a drop in the pocket for them, and the museum will have an easier time dealing with the investors when they can say they covered the 'problem' so cheaply."

With your new digital money burning a hole in yours and Robin's pockets, you decide to go shopping! But first, you and Robin decide to grab Vance. He might want to come too, after all. He's still exactly where you left him. The trip you took was pretty short. Gently, you try to wake him. Then you try it less gently. Then you and Robin have to work together to push him off the couch. He hits the ground with a loud thud.

"Oh. Hey you two." He rubs his eyes. He's still a little out of it. His clothes are a mess.

You and Robin give him a big grin and wave your cards in his face. "Want to go shopping?"

As Robin pulls on Vance's arm to get him moving, you head over the the gift part of the Pokemon center. You grab a handful of various toys for your Pokemon. They could use a treat too! Before you make it all the way to the checkout, you spot a nice grooming brush. That would be perfect for Devon! You add it to your pile, which comes up to a very small amount of money.

You run back over to your friends and all three of you head out on the town. Maybe you're still riding off the good feelings from settling things with Robin, but you're feeling very generous. You stop by a pretty decently high-end store. With you and Robin in your modified travel clothes, and Vance looking like he fought a bear this morning, it causes a small scene.

"Vance! As my protege, I'm telling you that you need this cape." He gives you a funny look, but it quickly transforms into a smile when you put it over his massive arms and point him at a mirror.

You see Robin looking wistfully at a cute little choker necklace. You interrupt her thoughts and put your arm around her slender shoulders. "It's on me." Robin tries to stop you, but you purposefully dodge her attempts before she can react.

Before you're able to make it to the checkout, a man in a suit and slick black hair approaches you. "Miss. May I be of assistance?" You can tell by his tone that he doesn't appreciate you and your friends being here. Well Oo la di dah!

"You can help me by explaining why these clearly knockoff items are priced at full value!" You say. "The thrift store across the street has this cape for half off!" You're already causing a scene, you might as well turn it to your advantage. "And this choker necklace is the same one in the Silph catalog, but a different label!" He looks flabbergasted as the high-class shoppers start gathering around. Eventually you keep pushing him until he agrees to give you an incredible deal on those two items at an incredible deal just to get you out of the store.

As you exit the store you see Robin looks extremely embarrassed at the scene you caused. Her embarrassment vanishes when you put the necklace on her. Vance tries to nod and stroke an imaginary beard, pretending like he completely saw when you were doing there. You're starting to figure out his social defense mechanism of trying to put on a tough, wise persona when he's embarrassed or threatened.

The next stop is over at another store. One that specializes in traveling gear. You pick of a decent sleeping bag and a pair of boots. They don't look all that fancy, but they'll do the job. Wordlessly, you walk right passed the tent section. Vance and Robin say nothing, but you know they both want to ask or make a comment. You just wink at Robin when Vance isn't looking, and she blushes and looks way.

You've spent just over half of your money now. It still leaves you a comfortable amount for whatever might come up.

It's about evening now.

Time to hit the road. Before you set out, you and everyone else stop in the Pokemon center for a quick shower and meal.

Finally, you and your companions are on the road to Chloroville. You feel good and fresh, but the feeling of needing that first badge is nagging at the back of your mind too. You're burning for a chance to show the world you can do this.

You see two joggers in the distance. As they get closer, you're able to make out a heavyset bearded man, and a slim, blonde woman. The woman is taking each step gracefully and admiring the scenery of the road, but the man is struggling to keep up. The woman passes by, barely noticing your group as her head turns to see every tree and cloud. The man stops in front of your group. "Woah" He wheezes. "Woah." His breathing and wheezing is so heavy it looks like he might start coughing. "We have to stop."

The blonde woman stops. "Awww, honey! Why?" She's not even winded in the slightest.

He wheezes once more. "These...these trainers...I was challenged...Pokemon battle" He manages between breathes. He looks the group over briefly. "Yeah...thatone...challengedmetoabattle...justaswepassedby."

Her athletic build is only accentuated more as she puts her hands on her hips. "Of course dear. You have to defend your honor. I'll just wait patiently and catch my breath." She rolls her eyes. When he looks at her though, she immediately changes her sarcastic tone and posture to a supportive smile. She ushers him on to fight. "Which one of these brave young people is challenging my snookybear?"

He points to where Robin is standing, but he's not actually looking at your group any more, instead he's looking down at the ground as he supports himself on his own legs. "That...thatone..." he manages to get out.

He did look your group over before, so he must have singled her out because she looked the frailest, as if that matters in Pokemon battles. You can see that Robin is holding her arms out in a gesture of denial and defensiveness. As smart as she is, it's amazing she can't put together what's happening in situations like these sometimes.

"That's right! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" You proclaim it loudly.

He looks over to you "Huh? Yeah sure. That one then." He goes back to trying to recover.

He doesn't seem to have mentioned anything about changing the bet away from standard. He starts reaching for a Pokemon.

"I only have two Pokemon" He says. "Should have brought more. Onyx! I choose you"

He releases his Pokemon at the same time as you. Vlad comes screeching out of his Pokeball. He does a little loop to show off his energy.

That thing is huge! You hope it isn't as tough as it looks.

You cover your own ears first, then decide to yell out your command. "Vlad! Hit it with Supersonic!"

While you can barely hear it, it's easy to see how that Onix Pokemon clearly doesn't like it at all. It says from side to side

"Onix! Grab it with a Bind!" You hear the other trainer yell out. Onix reaches for Vlad, but in his confused state he's unable to connect. He misses, just barely, and slams his tail into the ground hard.

"I better get Vlad out of there" you say to yourself. That thing thing has got to have rock typing. Maybe something else too, it's hard to say.

Well, you certainly have the answer to that. "Vlad, return for now. Destiny, it's your time to shine!"

You release Destiny from her Pokeball. It's just barely getting dark now, so the light from the Pokeball looks just a little more bright.

While you were doing that, the other trainer yelled a command you didn't hear. You can see it's effects though. The large rock-snake tosses some pretty decently sized rocks that strike Destiny. The hit strikes her for a moderate amount of damage. It's nothing to laugh at, but you would have expected a little more from something so big.

Onix still looks confused.

You mentally promise that you'll give Trunks a chance soon. You haven't interacted with him since you got him.

"Alright Destiny! Hit it with a Water Gun!

"Onix! Use Rock Throw again!"

You both yell at the same time. You figure with the size of that thing, there's no way it can act first, but it does. The rocks strike Destiny hard.

She bounces back up though, and she looks mad. She leans forward, then lets out a hard jet of water. Her figure wobbles slightly as she pushes with as much force as she can.

Onix recoils and flails wildly. You expected it to be effective, but this is incredible. The the small blast from the tiny Horsea looks almost comedic next to such a creature, but the effect is clear. Onix flails more and finally comes crashing down, defeated.

The other trainer quickly retrieves him. "Sorry buddy" you can hear him say to the Pokeball.

"Alright Drilbur, it's your turn!"

A small, funny looking Pokemon with three, no wait, two large claws and one big nose, comes out. It has black fur with a bit of a purple stripe.

You're not sure what you're dealing with exactly with this new Pokemon, so you figure now is the time to gamble.

"Destiny! Use that move you tried back at the lake!" Destiny looks back at you, trying to figure out what you mean.

The other trainer yells out to his Pokemon. "Drilbur! Use Dig!"

Dig is an apt name. The 'Drilbur' dives into the ground, rapidly sinking into it as it uses it's claws to dig. Just as it vanishes into the ground, Destiny fires a smokescreen at to space it was occupying, and looks back at you for confirmation on it she did the right one.

"No! Not that one! The one where you had that purple aura and shot into the air all cool." It's hard to see if she knows what you mean. You think so, but you can't be sure.

You have a second to think about what you'll do before that thing pops up again. It's just a matter of time before it strikes.

"Nevermind that Destiny. New plan! Get ready to fire a Watergun at the ground!"

The other trainer heard what you yelled. "Wait! Drilbur! Hold on, it's a -" The Dribur pops up from the ground before he can finish his sentence.

"NOW!" Destiny fires at the ground. Partially because the earth was pushing up from below her, partially from her jump, and partially from the force of her blast, she goes flying into the air.

Drilbur fails to connect, and is slammed onto the ground. He looks hurt, but not out. He quickly gets back to his feet.

Vance looks visibly impressed, but only for a second. He notices you noticing him, and then just removes the expression he had and nods knowingly while stroking his chin.

Destiny is just reaching the peak of her height. She slows down, and is just about to stop in mid air.

"Drilbur! Get ready to hit it with Fury Swipes!" Looks like he wants to mimic what you did to him. You're already ahead of him though.

You cup your hands around your mouth to try to focus your voice as you yell to Destiny. "Remember your battle with Vlad, think about how mad you were and how much you wanted to win. Use. That. move!" There's a second where the world stands still as Horsea peaks in there are, and slowly starts coming down. Then a strong, purple aura surrounds her and she jets at Drilbur at an incredible speed.

Drilbur leaps in the air to meet her. He manages to get one swipe off before he's just overpowered by the sheer rage of her attack as she pushes right into him. Both Pokemon hit the ground and kick up a cloud of dust. The crash felt even stronger than when Onix fainted.

Everyone waits to watch the dust clear. Finally, it reveals both Pokemon on the ground. Drilbur and Destiny lay motionless. They both get up again, only this time Destiny doesn't wait for an order. She flies at him again with the same purple aura, sending both Pokemon flying.

Drilbur hits the ground, clearly knocked out. Destiny lays on the ground as well, but she's still conscious. She looks very confused though.

It looks like you've won! The other trainer retrieves his Pokemon.

You run over and give your tiny Horsea a great big hug. "Great job Destiny! You really gave it your all! I'd like it if you waited for me to give the order to attack each time though. It's my job to-"

Robin, who was playing with her Pokedex, interrupts. "Kat, I don't think Destiny could help it. I think that was a move called Outrage. It puts the user in a raging state where they don't have total control. Destiny wouldn't be able to help but to use it two, maybe three times in a row. Besides that, the Pokemon using it gets confused after. It's a powerful move, but it's risky."

"Oh." You look down at Destiny. The confusion slowly leaves her face and she looks up to you. "In that case, forget that last part. Great work Destiny, you're amazing!"

The trainer you fought is being consoled by the woman he was jogging with.

"Honey, I don't care about how well you battle or jog. I love you for you."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, my snookybear."

What follows is a disgusting, indecipherable series of noises as she pinches his cheeks, they touch noses, and then they kiss. They walk away with their hands in each others pockets. Vance nods knowingly (like he knew that would happen) and Robin blushes holds her face while watching their lovey-dovey display. You fight the urge to barf. A quick look at your ID and your newly won money helps you to fight that urge though. Not bad!

It's getting pretty dark, and it's about time to set up camp. Your party finds a small clearing a little bit away from the main road and sets up for the night. As the fire roars and every finishes off the dinner Vance made, you have some time to talk before everyone is off to bed. Tomorrow you'll have time to get in some training before your party sets off again.

Your feet are up in the air, and you're picking at the leftover bits of your meal in your teeth with a toothpick. "So Robin, what can we expect along the road as we get closer to Chloroville?" You ask.

She puts her finger on her cheek and thinks. "Well, probably a decent amount of trainers. Chloroville is a popular destination, despite the swampy surroundings. I know there are Woopers around here, and plenty of grass and bug Pokemon. There's of course some normal types too. There's way more water types up near Harmony Lake along the north part of the path."

"Any places to stash stolen goods?"

Robin gives you a weird look, but remembers what you said about the Novum lab truck getting stolen. "Sorry, I don't know much about that. There's lots of swamps, so there'd be plenty of places to hide out, but it also makes it hard for trucks to get anywhere beyond the main road."

That doesn't tell you much. You look over at Vance. "So Vance! You wrestled that big Pokemon all by yourself? You know I meant for you to catch it using Machop, right? I mean, I'm impressed, but who just goes out and tries to catch a wild Pokemon all by them...selves." You trail off a bit and play with Devon's Pokeball as you realize what you're saying.

Vance looks animated. "Ha! That was the plan. Unfortunately Ursarang was able to defeat Machop. I guess I've been having him help me train so much I've neglected training him. Once he fainted, I didn't have many options, and Ursarang here was still pretty upset." He starts giving a play-by-play of each move. Robin looks enthralled as he mines his and Ursarangs movements. You get up and start playing the part of Ursarang for him, trying to look as large as possible, and faking swipes at him. He picks you up over his shoulders and starts spinning you around while telling Robin how he did the same to Ursarang.

After a grand 'battle' he ends up having you in a headlock, then gently releases you. That was actually pretty fun.

Robin chimes in. "So are you going to let Ursarang out tomorrow morning?"

Vance pauses. "Are...are you sure that's a good idea?" The smile leaves his face and he looks to you.

"Don't worry so much about it. I'll help. Besides, I still need to really meet with one of my Pokemon for the first time too." You touch the Pokeball at your belt containing Trunks, your Phantump. "Robin, you'll help too, right?"

Robin nods eagerly. "Of course. I don't know what I can do, but I'd love to help. We're a team."

We're a team. Huh.

"See Vance, we have your back. Remember how I trained Horsea and Zubat? It's just a matter of finding what works, not necessarily just making yourself stronger. Each situation and each Pokemon is different. Ursaring probably respects you now anyway, you beat it in a fair fight after all." You playfully mimic swiping at him again. "I also have my secret weapon!" You refer to your flute.

Vance seems more at ease with your enthusiastic response. "Well then, I guess I better get a good nights sleep so I'm ready."

It is pretty late.

It's a nice night out. You just just sleep outside and stare up at the stars.

Robin gets up, stretches and yawns. You see the outline of her shirt against her body and remember how warm she is, and how waking up in a cramped little spot while listening to someone your age sleep makes you weirdly nostalgic for the orphanage. You look up at her as she finishes her yawn.

"So, see you in the tent soon?" She asks. Did she read your mind, was the question plastered on your face, or was that something else?

"You bet! Be there in a minute!" You beam back at her.

Robin slips into the tent, and Vance puts out the remaining bit of the fire. He's giving you a curious look.

"So you and Robin..." He starts. You know what he wants to ask.

You consider his question for a second. Truthfully you're not sure where things are headed, but you aren't going to say that. You cock are head at him, pretending you don't know what he's trying to say.

Vance looks uncomfortable, but he's committed now. "You know, are you two...together?" You just maintain your stare. Let's see how far you can push him. "I mean, are you two together, in a way that's more than friends?" He makes some awkward gestures with his hands, clueless as to how to actually do one that might help him with what he's saying. "I mean, girls can sleep in the same tent and all of course, but it's just that you two seem, I don't know. I'm just wondering if maybe..."

Internally you're giggling like mad, but on the outside you just remain expressionless.

"Are you and Robin lovers?"

You just barely suppress the urge to burst into laughter. Lovers? Did he say lovers? He looks like he's not sure if he should apologize for asking such a question, or if he should restate it.

You don't say anything. You just flash him a fun little smile, and slide into her tent.

Robin is already half asleep as you change into something more comfortable. She doesn't look at you, but bumbles, "So what were talking about?"

"Oh, Vance just wanted to know if Kats eat Robins."

The look on her face puts you over the edge.


	11. Thread 11

You slept well. It took a long time to get Robin to just relax and go to sleep after your little joke. It was worth it though. The mental image of the face she made is getting safely tucked away in your inner vault. It really is a shame you didn't take a picture.

Waking up is hard. You're very comfortable. You don't remember why, but you felt disappointed earlier when something warm and soft you were snuggling with retracted it's grip from you. Your ears are alert first. Someone is making breakfast. Your nose agrees. It smells good.

Lazily, your eyes drag themselves open, but not before getting a few extra long blinks in. You get dressed and crawl out of the tent, where you see Robin making pancakes. Your stomach protests that Taste hasn't gotten a turn yet, and demands that you exercise it immediately You are happy to comply. Robin hands you a plate and you dig in

"Umphghg!" You say between bites. "Gohmaeghuhd, gdish ish sho ghood." You can feel your eyes roll almost to the back of your head. Robin just tries to quickly brush a little of the pancakes off your cheek and smiles before going back to eating hers. Finally you swallow. "Where's Vance?"

Robin points with her cutlery. "He's doing some exercise over there."

Your eyes follow Robin's fork as it descend back down to her plate. That's when you notice it, just beside her. The Hounder Robin took from her dad is sitting patiently and silently beside her. You don't even need to see the markings to know that it's not Devon. Devon always full of energy, and the few times he isn't, he wants to cuddle or rest his head on your lap. This Houndour is practically a statue. He must have a lot of discipline. Robin tosses him a the last bit of her pancake, and his stoicism evaporates.

"Good girl!" she says. You are corrected, it's a girl.

After scarfing down the rest of your food, you head over to where Robin pointed. Vance is grimacing as he's doing pushups. "C'mon Vance. No pain, no gain". He still looks like he's in rough shape from his fight. That's right, you promised you'd help train him. It probably won't take that much of your time.

You decide to let out Devon, your Houndour, so he can play with Robin's Houndour. You tell Devon to go play with the other Hounder and he runs off. You hear Robin giggle and say "Devon! Stop it"! He must be licking her face or something.

"Alright Vance, I think it's time you met Ursaring as her trainer for the first time." Is it a her? You suppose it doesn't really matter right now.

Vance hesitates. Then braces himself for a fight and reaches for his Pokeball. "OK, here goes."

"Wait!" You stop him. "Take out Machop first, just in case."

Vance takes out his Machop, who assumes a fighting stance right away.

"Ok Ursaring, come on out!" Vance yells. The sound of a Pokeball opening makes you and Machop suddenly more alert. The form of the giant Pokemon fills an empty space and makes the entire area feel just a little smaller. Ursaring looks like it just woke up from a nap. It rises to it's feet and lets out a mighty roar as it sees Vance.

Vance assumes a fighting stance that mirrors Machop's.

You keep your eyes on Ursaring, but move your face to speak to Vance. "Just hold on. See what Ursaring does first." You take out your flute. You hope Vance doesn't take that as a lack of faith in what you just instructed him on.

Vance and Ursaring stare at each other for a good long while. The air is thick with tension. Finally, Vance moves first. He starts to mimic Ursaring's posture, which can only be described as the obvious form of an angry bear. Vance begins to move closer to it. It's mouth shoots open and it displays it's teeth. There's a menacing growl, but little actual movement from Ursaring.

Vance stops.

Vance keeps facing the menacing Pokemon, but He looks to you for guidance. You point your head towards Ursaring and mouth 'keep going', then you take your flute back up to your lips. He keeps slowly advancing until he's withing touching, or striking distance. Ursaring's growls are loud now, and it extends it's claws.

Still Vance doesn't back down. He maintains eye contact, but doesn't move closer. Ursaring keeps it's posture, but doesn't seem to want to fight again unless pushed.

The situation seems to be at a standstill. At least, that's what you thought. Vance steps on a twig, which causes the Ursaring to tense up once more and bring it's paws back in preparation to strike. Machop comes rushing in from behind Vance and starts attacking it. You start playing your flute, but the two Pokemon are scrapping hard and you're not even sure if you're registering to them at all.

"Vance, tell them to stop. Be authoritative!"

Vance immediately jumps into the fray. He grabs Machop by the arm and pulls him off, and pushes Ursaring back with a one-handed shove. He yells at both of them, "STOP!" It amazes you at how much physical power he can just summon like that. Machop tries to come in for another go at it, but he holds it back. On his other side, Ursaring tries to push passed Vance to get at Machop, and he grabs it by the scruff and pushes it hard against a tree.

Both Pokemon stop moving. He glares and Machop first, who backs down easily. He glares and Ursaring right after. It snarls and even roars, but doesn't make a move to outright attack him.

Before things explode again, you start playing the flute. After a few moments, Vance lets go of both Pokemon. "That's better. Nobody fights unless I tell them." He glares at Machop when he says that. He turns back to Ursaring. "I don't want to fight you. You're my Pokemon now, and I need you to trust me." Ursaring doesn't do anything for a moment, then just snorts and looks away. "Well try again tomorrow." Vance recalls Ursaring to it's Pokeball.

He looks at Machop. "I don't know if you were trying to protect me or if you just wanted a rematch. You shouldn't attack without me saying so, understand?"

Machop kicks at the dirt like a small child, then nods. Vance recalls him. He walks over to you "Thanks. I know things didn't go as great as we hoped, but I don't think I'd be willing to try again if you weren't here." He puts his large hand on your small shoulder. "We'll try again tomorrow, if that's alright with you." His smile is genuine and encouraging, from what you can read. He doesn't wait for an answer. He just heads back to the campfire where Robin is. You see Robin give you an encouraging wave in the distance before each Houndour drags her attention away as they play with her.

You guess it's time to decide which Pokemon you`ll train this morning. You'll probably only be able to give your attention to two if you want to do anything fairly specific with that Pokemon.

You feel the Pokeballs in your hand as you decide. You haven't given Trunks, your Phantump, any attention yet. It's also been awhile since Zappy Dan had a chance to shine too. Alright!

"Zappy Dan, Trunks! Come out!"

Zappy Dan just floats there. He looks neither interested or bored. He's just there. He probably won't mind if you take a minute to talk to Trunks.

"Hi Trunks!" You lean your your knees and smile at the little ghost. "I'm Kat." Trunks looks at you with it's big, wide eyes. It looks almost...scared? Shy maybe? You stick your hand out. It floats forward and instead of shaking it, rubs it's face against it. "I think we're going to get along just fine!" It rubs your hand again.

"It's so cute!" Robin says. You didn't even hear her come over because you were focusing too much on Trunks. She pets it and it rubs against her hand too. You look back and see Vance taking a turn playing with the Houndours.

You spend a few minutes asking Trunks what moves it knows and getting to know it better. With Robin's help, you're able to identify Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, and Growth. You pet Zappy Dan as Robin helps explain the moves in more detail.

Robin lists off a few moves that a Phantumpt can learn, according to her Pokedex. A few sound interesting.

"Alright Trunks! Let's do this!" You focus on Feint Attack. A move that can't miss sounds pretty appealing. You take a few pebbles off the ground and toss them into the air "Trunks! Use Feint attack!"

Trunks tackles a single pebble, and looks to you to see if it did the right thing.

"That's close, but try to harness your...I don't know, ghostliness." You another pebble up. This time Trunks strikes at it with a slightly dark aura, but misses. You keep at it for awhile, and the accuracy slowly improves. After a few more tries, Trunks is able to hit the pebble each time. Trunks smiles up at you for affection after each success.

You pet trunks on the head. "Good Trunks! You're a quick learner."

You're just about to give Trunks a rest, when he fires off a seed in the same arc that you were tossing pebbles. It bounces off your head. He looks proud that he was able to mimic you. "Close Trunks, but I don't think you're all the way there yet. Keep at it though." Trunks lets out a happy noise and tries to summon another seed to fire off. He struggles for a minute and nothing happens. Then a see falls out from on top of his head. It doesn't seem to do anything when it hits the ground. "We'll work on it Trunks. You're probably passed the hardest part I bet. Don't push yourself too hard." He looks up at you happily.

Robin latches onto Trunks before you can say anything else. "He's so cute!"

Now it's Zappy Dan's turn.

"Zappy Dan, let's focus on your defense. I want you to be a steel wall." Nothing will hurt Dan if you can help it.

Now how to train this...You see a pile of rocks nearby. Maybe that will work. You take a medium sized one and walk back to Dan. "OK, I'm going to balance this on you, and add a few more. Tell me if it gets to be too much, OK?"

Dan spins his magnets in confirmation.

You put the rock on him, and he hovers a little lower. He already naturally hovers pretty low to begin with. You then take over a bigger one, and manage to balance that on him as well, but it forces him to touch the ground. After a few more rocks, he's buried in them on the ground. You keep asking if he's OK, to which he confirms with a sound. After a while you feel can't see Dan anymore. You can still hear him when you ask for him though.

"OK Dan, now I want you to stay still, and blast your way out. Understand?"

A small pebble explodes from the pile and whizzes right by your face. You didn't think this part through. You grab Robin and Trunks and make your way behind a tree for cover. Bits of rocks start exploding out like popcorn.

Pow! Zing! There's a Thwack as a rock smacks into the tree you're hiding behind

BOOM! Then silence.

You peer out and see that he's destroyed the pile entirely. That last shot felt a lot more powerful. Zappy Dan's form is revealed as the dust settles.

"I don't think that last one was Thundershock" Says Robin.

"Dan, can you do that last move again?"

Zappy Dan tries to produce and fire an electrical bolt, but it fizzles out before he reaches full power.

"You must need some time to recharge. We'll try again soon, OK?"

It's getting to be time to hit the road. Vance seems to have been packing things up while you were training.

You lead your group a little bit off the path and keep an eye out for any new Pokemon.

Robin and Vance are engaged in a little chitchat with you in the walking in the middle. It's a beautiful day, and just feeling the slight warm breeze on your face makes it hard to even listen to them. You can hear the sound of your group's footprints, the leaves blowing in the wind, and in the bushes just off the path you there's the the soft rustling of... actually, what is that?

Vance's voice suddenly makes itself heard in your ear. "And then I said, 'more like HitmonYOU!'" The sound you heard is drowned out by Robin's laughter. Vance jabs you in the ribs with his elbow playfully, temporarily knocking the wind out of you. You extend your arms back and stop them in their tracks, then give them both a shushing gesture and point to the bushes. They both quietly follow as you make your way to the brush to peer passed ot.

Not too far away you're able to make out a Pokemon. It's small yellow bug-looking one with pointy hair. You're not sure if it has four eyes or just two. It doesn't seem to have noticed you at all yet.

You take out your Pokedex and make sure the volume is set very low.

"Joltik, the Attaching Pokémon. Joltik attach to other, large bodied Pokemon to absorb static electricity." The Pokedex reads that it's a bug and electric type.

Huh. Guess it has to work at least once in awhile. You look back at your companions. "I already have an electric type. Does anyone here want to battle it?"

"I think I'll have my hands full with Ursaring for awhile," Vance says. You both look at Robin.

"Well, I don't know..."

You give her a sly smile. "Come on. I thought Robins ate bugs." Her eyes widen. "No wait, I have that expression mixed up. I think it was more like 'Ca-" Robin's hand covers your mouth.

"I'll go check it out! I love bug Pokemon!" She suddenly seems very enthusiastic about it. Vance looks completely confused.

Robin leaves the cover of the bush and lets herself be seen. The furry little yellow Joltik turns to face her.

"Hey little guy." She extends her hand. The Joltik doesn't look like it's happy to have a human come near it though. It hisses and leaps at her. Robin is barely able to get a Pokeball out in time.

In a flash of light, Geodude appears. He intercepts the bug and pushes it back.

"Go Robin! You've got this!"

She gives her signature little nod, then focuses her attention on the fight. "Thanks Geodude. Now follow up with a Roll Out!" You watch as Geodude brings it it's arms and rolls at the small bug. Just from the first move alone you can see that Robin shouldn't have much trouble.

You turn to Vance. Time to act sagely. "I want you to watch carefully."

"Watch which one carefully?"

"Look at-" What was it called again? Oh yeah, that's right. "Look at Joltik. It's laying down webs, keeping it's distance. Geodude is hard and scary, and it's stalling until it can learn more."

Vance nods, concentrating on the fight. You can see him move a little to try to mimic it's movements.

"The fight is about more than just being stronger. Watch how Geodude rolls. He could be going faster, but he keeps his arms out just slightly to be ready to use them if he needs to. He's also taking a path that's just a little out of the way to try to force Joltik into a corner." You're making it up as you going along, but it doesn't feel like it. It's more like your sharing your revelations as they come. You don't let Vance know that, of course.

"That didn't happen by accident. See how Robin positions herself behind Geodude? She's naturally moving over to signal to Geodude where she wants him. She doesn't have to tell him, she can just depend on body langauge." Now that you think about it, it's very impressive how quickly she's able to establish that connection. She just caught Geodude recently.

"Pay attention to her movements. See how she uses her arm every time she gives a command?" Vance nods. He's concentrating hard. "Your biggest weakness is your connection with your Pokemon. Robin can already direct her newly caught Geodude seamlessly. Try to see why that is." Vance is taking it all in. You can see the gears turn in his head. Good, you're really flying by the seat of your pants. Speaking of pants, look at Robin. "Look at Robin. See her body...language. Concentrate on the tone and firmness of her..." You stop to put your finger under Vance's jaw and tilt his head up a little bit, "Voice."

Vance smiles boyishly. You struggle not to follow where his eyes were and keep the high, wise facade going. Before you have to do much else though, Robin tosses out a Pokeball. It bounces and wiggles, but before it even stops you can tell it's going to be caught.

Robin returns, excited, arms out, ready for a hug of celebration. Vance is moving in.

Oh no he doesn't. Not after you caught him checking her out.

"Great job Robin!" You run passed Vance and give her a great big hug. Before he can squish you from behind again, you spin her out of his reach. He won't be able to butt in like this!

He quickly proves you wrong and times his inclusion just right. Robin ends up squished between the two of you. You and Vance end up with your faces inches apart. It's hard to read his face. Is he mad you tried to deny him the hug? Is he upset you assumed it would be anything other than friendly? Is he just trying to be friendly? Is he jealous? Most people are easy enough to read despite the complex thoughts running through their heads and floating up to their face. Vance is the opposite. It's like he thinks so little that you can only read him when he's concentrating on something specific. Your forehead bumps with his as Robin tries to get her face out enough to breath.

"Yeah, great job, Robin," Vance says as you both loosen the Robin sandwich and the hug breaks.

Robin collects Geodude after praising him. She pulls out the small map she had from the Pokemon center in Kindletown. "You know, we're just getting to the point where we'll have to decide if we'll see the lake or not."

"Let's check it out!" You exclaim. "I don't think we can afford a boat tour just yet, but there's still plenty to do at the beach, right?" You hitch your bag up, put your arms over Robin and Vance's shoulders, which is no easy task considering the height difference, and start marching everyone forward.

You get a few feet before Robin has to correct the direction. You misread the map by about 90 degrees. "Alright! That way!" You point confidently at your new heading.

It'll probably take the rest of the day to get there.

"Hey Vance, you must have passed by here before. Anything you can tell us?"

He strokes his imaginary beard. "I can't tell you much you don't already probably know. There's a lot of beach, the usual types of Pokemon you'd expect. The lake itself is beautiful." He looks towards to you and Robin. "I haven't been to the exact spot we're headed, but I hear it's great. You wouldn't come this way normally unless you went for the boat rides though."

You come across a group of 3 trainers. One is a skinny boy wearing a tank top, a scarf, and some sort of red beret. It's the type of hideous outfit that can only be explained by someone who follows the fashion industry. Maybe it's just the way he's wearing it or the confident stroll he has, but you grudgingly have to admit to yourself that he's somehow pulling it off. To his right is right is a much larger boy. He has an equally bold outfit, but he looks every bit of ridiculous as his outfit choice. It looks like he's trying to ape his smaller friend. There's also a fairly pretty girl there too. Just once glance and you can tell she comes from money. Her clothes look expensive but impractical, her posture is flawless for every setting except actually walking, and there's absolutely no way her hair can maintain that shape without a specialized team of skilled stylists.

The boy in the scarf looks like he's in charge. He eyes your group up and down. With a mix of disgust, flattery, and suspicion, you note that he's particularly slow when his eyes come to you. "See, these are the types of chumps I was talking about!" What did he just say? "Look at this one," he points to you, "She's traveling between two towns with gym, but what's this? Not a single badge!" He flicks his scarf over in a not-so-subtle move to show off the four badges pinned to it. "And what's with that outfit? It looks like someone took a bowie knife too it!" You're at a momentary loss for words, and do your best to hide your slight blush and indignation. You did actually modify it with a survival knife. His friends laugh. The girl's laugh is a haughty, high pitched noise that reminds you of Vlad. The big one's laugh is probably what a caveman would sound like.

The larger one's laugh sounds as dumb as he looks "Good one, Dick."

'Dick' loses his smile, and glares at the large one. "Richard. My name is Richard." He looks at you. His scowl is sharp. "What are you looking at? We're trying to have a private conversation here."

It sure seemed like he intended for you to hear it up to a second ago.

You look back at your companions. Vance has a hard, angry look. Even Robin looks steamed. She gives you a nod. You're not sure if that's a 'go get em' or that she just reads that you think poorly of them and agrees.

"What did you just say to me, you little shit?"

You get right in his face. He obviously isn't used to people standing up to him. "See, these are the types of chumps I was talking about! Look at this one," You point to Dick, "He's got four badges, but what's this? He still feels like he needs to impress! And what's with that outfit? It looks like someone stole his clothes and he had to raid a washing line!"

Robin and Vance laugh. His confidence is shaken. His minions look ready for a fight. He bounces back quickly, but with little grace. "I'm not going to take fashion advice from someone like you. What, did you pick those rags out of the trash?" He looks back at his party for backup. They force a laugh, but it really wasn't funny at all.

"Come on. I bet you're just too chicken to fight me. I'll mop the floor with you." He tries to asset himself over you.

You bounce a Pokeball off his forehead. "What, with this one? What's in here anyway?"

"That's my Pokemon!" He completely loses his cool. You toss it up in the air and he snatches it. You begin to walk away.

"What, you think that makes you a good trainer? You think it makes up for not having any badges?"

You shout back. "Whatever Dick!"

"You can't just walk away from me! Do you have any idea who I am?" He reaches for a Pokeball.

You stop and look back. "You're a punk without any badges." You reveal the 4 badges you took off of it. You toss them hard into the brush behind him, and walk away.

You expect an unapproving look from Robin, but to your surprise she just giggles, even if she's looking a little guilty for doing so. Vance has a hearty laugh. 'Dick' will find them eventually.

You hear him yelling at his crew to find the badges, and he yells some obscenities at you as you get farther away. In the back of your mind you hear your self-doubt tell you how he would have trounced you, but you suppress it. You came out ahead today, and that's all that matters.

It`s getting a bit late. You're relieved to finally arrive at the beach. The waves break gently on the sand.

Vance chimes in "There probably won't be any boats until tomorrow morning."

In the distance you see a bonfire and some young people hanging out. You can hear a guitar and some singing.


	12. Thread 12

"You guys want to go check out that bonfire?" You point to the mini-party in the distance along the beach. You can hear music and the laughter of teenagers.

Vance agrees. Robin never wants to be the odd one out, so she decides to go along with it too. One thing you've really come to like about Vance is how agreeable he can be. Robin can be pressured or manipulated (good thing you're such a nice person) but Vance practically jumps at the chance to do anything that sounds new. He's an easy going explorer when it comes down to it.

The beach is separated into sections here. This whole area seems loaded with private little coves. You're within spitting distance of them now, but in the dark nobody noticed your approach.

You reflect that you've become more open and adventuress since setting out. It hasn't been that long, but it feels like a lifetime.

The group around the bonfire looks largely how you expected. Hippy teenagers hanging around a fire, with about half of them playing a tune. It seems pretty improvised.

On that note, you take out your flute and do your best to match the notes of the melody of the bonfire jam going on. They don't even notice your group until you walk into the light and the flute is close enough to sound distinct. There's no judgement or questions from the group. Just the tune. You look around and see the most stereotypical group of teenage hippies you can imagine. You feel this was a bit more intimate that just exchanging names at first.

As the tune wraps up, you and your group take turns introducing yourselves to a few people. You shake hands with a guy your age. He's tall and handsome, with long shaggy black hair. He puts on a shirt after shaking your hand, since the night is starting to set in. His name is Nick, and despite your preconceived notion, his handshake is firm. The introductions go down your group of friends starting with you, then Vance, then Robin, and the person next to her introduces themselves too. It keeps going until there's a whole circle of people introducing themselves around the fire. It seems a lot of people here are strangers. You hear names like Staraviaflower and ApriScott and Rain Dancer.

One person breaks the cycle a bit. She says her name 'Starshine', a little about herself, and then lets a Pokemon out. "This is Soul Rock." It looks like a floating, sun-type Pokemon. 'Soul Rock' shoots a small spinning jet of flame into the air, to the amazement and cheering of the group.

The next person releases a Staryu. They tell it to do a Rapid Spin move, and then pour sand on top of it. It produces a spiral of sand that lands at everyone's feet. A few people dodge out of the way, but it's harmless, and more applause follows.

The introductions are long over, and this new game continues in the circle. Each person in the line performs a trick with their Pokemon. Some are lame, but some are pretty impressive.

It comes to be your turn.

You look over to Vance with a wink and a smile. "Since you like watching female trainers strut their stuff so much, watch this!" Vance tries to both look away after you said that and keep watching because you told him. It's a funny gesture.

You ask for a little space, then take out Zappy Dan. You tell him to fire electricity at the sand in the clearing, creating neat glass patterns. As he's doing that, you toss Destiny into the air, and have her use her own jumping ability and Water Gun to propel herself to a fantastic height. On her way down she spins and fires Bubble in all direction. You catch her and have Devon run to the center of the pattern, and fire a Dark Pulse into the sky. What can only be described as dark light reflects off the glass and bubbles in a beautiful display. You can hear loud applause and hollers. One girl in the back look like she muttered 'show off', but you don't care. So this is what coordinating feels like.

The game continues down to Vance, who tosses a small rock to Machop to watch it get explodes in some sort of rock smashing move. The fine powder sparkles in the firelight. After your show, it seems pretty weak. You pat him on the back.

Robin's turn comes up and she has her new Joltik fire a neat patterned web into the air. The applause is only moderate until it lands in the fire, and the web goes up in a flashy pattern.

Some of the people collect bits of the glass Zappy Dan created. To your relief, it all looks very rounded instead of sharp. A few turns down the line the game just sort of evolves again. Now people are throwing things into the fire. From what you can gather, the whole thing is about letting go of something. One girl throws her ex-boyfriends phone number in. Someone tosses in a small amount of money (what a waste) another person throws in their trainer ID, proclaiming it was never their real dream. A girl tosses in some of her sketches, saying she's done with that art style and moving on to something else.

Then it becomes your turn again.

You take out your old ragged clothes. They were hand-me-downs to begin with, and didn't last very long on the road. They're frail and weak, they stink of disappointment. You wrap quickly place the Silph Co ID in as well, but make sure nobody sees you do it.

"These are from my old life. Before I met my friends," You look back at your companions, "And my family." You look down to the Pokeballs on your belt. "The person who wore these is dead."

They go up quickly. They were thin, ragged, and not worth much.

You look around at the somber mood that put everyone in. This is one of the few social situations you're really uncomfortable in. "Plus the fewer the clothes, the more fun it is? Am I right?" The group around the fire chuckles a bit, and you wink back at Vance and Robin. Robin blushes slightly, Vance puts on his best beard-stroking wise face.

Vance throws away a small booklet titled Pushing Beyond your Limits: Training Exercises. He makes a joke about it being terrible and having a predictable ending.

Robin says nothing, but throws in a cardkey with the Kindletown gym logo on it.

After a few more people It seems the game of going around the circle and doing things has just petered out. Groups start forming around, and the music starts up again to an upbeat tune.

Vance and Robin aren't as outgoing as you. You figure they'll probably just stick close until they can loosen up.

Nick, that tall handsome guy with the long hair is here banging on a drum. That Starshine girl is here too, strumming on a funky looking guitar. You ease yourself into the melody like a pair of comfy pants.

Robin and Vance sit with the rest of the group that's just watching. They don't seem to mind, and lean back in the sand.

This is nice. There's no pressure, no drama, nothing in the world but the music. You're connected with total strangers in the song, playing for your friends and yourself.

As the night grows, the music winds up. People are disbursing, but most of them seem to be making a small camp here. The fire dims down to red embers. The loud party is now the soft murmurings of a small crowd.

You decide to set up camp a just a little ways off from the main group. You're just barely off the sand and a short walk away from them. They seem nice, but it's still a large group of strangers.

You gather up Robin, but as you're getting Vance from the crowd you see a girl is there chatting with him and admiring his large form. His wise facade is turned up to eleven as she presses into him, flirtatiously feeling his muscles. "Stay here with us tonight!" She pouts. Another girl, apparently her friend, grabs Vance by his other large arm. "We're going to do stargazing. It'll be fuuun~"

Neither of them seem to be gazing anywhere near the sky. Vance notices you and Robin watching the display. His face is hard to read since he's doing his best to look like a zen master.

You get within talking distance of Vance. "Robin and I are going to go setup camp just beyond that treeline. Whenever your ready, just come meet up with us." The two other girls hold onto Vance defensively. They seem threatened that you're so familiar with their catch. You punch him playfully in the arm. "Bro!" You laugh playfully and start walking away. You realize you almost wrecked his chances, being the pretty little thing you are. That is, if that's even what he wants. You're still not sure, but you figure that leaves things up for him to decide.

He looks back at you helplessly as the girls drag him off. 'Just have fun' you mouth, then you take Robin back to where you wanted to set up the camp. She waves at him as he's absorbed into the crowd.

You and Robin setup a small camp and leave a clearing for Vance for when or if he comes back in the night.

You take out Devon and the brush you bought back in Kindletown. Devon tries to grab it out of your hand and chew on it. "No! Just sit." You have to push his butt down on the ground a bit before you're able to get him to sit still while you brush him. Once the brush gets into his fur and starts going down his back, he calms down and sits quietly, enjoying it.

"So why did you take Houndour from you dad?" You ask Robin. Devon is still sitting still, but his tail is wagging and his mouth is open. "I mean, I know I'm cool and all, but did you just have to mimic me?" You tease.

Robin fidgets a little. "Houndour was my mom's favorite, before she left."

She doesn't seem to want to get into it any more than that. You pass her the brush.

"Thanks," she says as she takes out her Houndour. She seems to enjoy the brush as much as Devon did. Robin scratches her behind the ears.

After a short while, you both crawl into the tent. Robin seems a little meloncholy from mentioning her mom, and you're pretty tired. You both snuggle. You feel like teasing her a bit, but her mood and the exhaustion from staying up late just sap your ability to think of anything. Before you know it, you're already asleep.

You wake up to the sounds of shouting and something else. What is that? Water hitting nylon? You crawl out of the tent to look towards the noise. There's a group of what look like security guards wearing grey uniforms with various water Pokemon spraying the hippy camp. It looks nobody is getting hurt, but their stuff is getting scattered all over the place. There's a lot of shouting and anger as the hippies try to collect their things and the guards try to spray them down. In the night, you didn't notice how close their camp was to a medium sized dock. It looks like they do some shipping here.

"Hey." You're startled as Vance puts his arm on your shoulder and watches with you.

"How did it go last night?" You ask

"I had a great time. We were up most of the night watching the stars. They pointed out constellations. I didn't realize how many of them are based on Pokemon."

Uh huh. You nudge him in the ribs "And?"

"And we started talking about all the different philosophies. I told them about my martial arts and we really got into a deep conversation."

"...And?"

"And then we did some play wrestling. It was great."

You're losing your patience. You pull his face down to meet your eyes "AND?"

"Oh! Oh no. Nothing like that. Their modesty remains intact."

You can't help but laugh at that line again. "Just because you didn't do anything, doesn't make that true." Those girls were anything but modest. "So how did you blow it?"

Vance looks at the beach scene again. "To be honest, they were nice, but they just weren't my type.

Huh. You make a mental note to ask him about that later. Right now there you just can't keep watching the scene in front of you. You want to distract the guards somehow.

There's about a dozen guards with water Pokemon of all sizes pumping in a constant stream at the camp. Behind them is the truck they came in on, and it looks unattended. The docks seem decently close from here too, you might be able to do something there if you run.

As you size the situation up, Robin comes out of her tent and starts asking about what's going on. Vance explains the situation to her, and he seems to know little more than you.

You're still assessing the situation and trying to formulate a plan. Still, you just can't let go what Vance said. Despite what you're seeing setting you off, you just have to ask. "So Vance, what kind of girl is your type?"

Robin was drinking a canteen when you asked, and she does a pretty impressive spit take. She didn't hear the first part of the conversation, so it probably seems more out of the blue to her.

Vance looks perplexed at the shift back to his love life. His eyes dart between you and Robin. He puts on a sagely invisible cloak. "Try to reason about love and you will lose your reason."

"You avoiding the question" you press bluntly.

Robin looks extremely alarmed and uncomfortable. "Are...are you asking Vance o-"

Both you and Vance turn to her "No!" you say in unison. You don't have time for this right now. There are more pressing issues.

You look to Robin. "I want to stop this from continuing." You gesture and the camp having it's stuff sprayed down. The hippies are still standing their ground, but the guards are scattering their stuff around and laughing. "Would you be mad if I?-"

"No." She states plainly. "Do whatever you have to do. I don't like it either." Carte Blanche.

You instruct her and Vance to pack up and meet a little ways off. They nod in confirmation and start packing. You make your way to the truck. With all the shouting and water it's not as hard as you thought it would be. You peer into the driver side window. Damn, no keys.

You look over to the guards. The one nearest the truck has a set of keys dangling from his belt.

You remember one night when you were twelve, and you ran way from the orphanage for the millionth time. You stayed up all night trying to hotwire the delivery truck for MooMoo milk across the street. When they found you asleep in the drivers seat, you got in some of the biggest trouble you've ever been in. But you're older, smarter now. How hard could it be? What sort of no-good troublemaker would you be if you couldn't pull this off?

You start fiddling with the wires. You're at a complete loss on how any of this works. Frantically you start trying to match wires together at random.

This isn't going anywhere. "Zappy Dan," you whisper as you release him inside the truck. "Can you give these wires a quick jolt?" Yeah, that might work. And you can get Trunks to-

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK! Zappy Dan's little shock must've messed things up. The horn is blaring and you can tell the lights are flashing too.

The guards and hippies all immediately turn their attention on you. You hide your face on reflex.

Got to think fast. You pull the handbrake and bail out the door, retrieving Zappy Dan as you go. The truck starts slowly rolling back towards the lake. Most of the guards chase after it, but the one with the keys chases after you instead. He a Pokemon with him too. A blue turtle looking one with wings on it's ears.

You dive into the treeline, but you can hear him not too far behind you.

You dive through the bush. When you'd hang out in the woods outside of Novum, you never really had to move that fast. But inside town, you were the best. You're good at making other peoples' things your own, but before you got good at that, you learned how to run through streets and alleys like a Persian.

This isn't much different, is it? You try to visualize the ground as pavement. Water shoots passed your head, but you ignore it. You force yourself through a think bush, and hear the guard behind you tangle momentarily.

There's a rock formation just a little taller than you up ahead. You jump off a nearby tree to get on top of it. It's not as graceful as you'd hope, but you make it up, scraping your knees. Another jet of water flies at you and connects this time, sending you tumbling back. You recover quickly and keep diving and ducking.

After a good long run through more brush, you finally slow down to a jog, then a walk. You can't hear or see anything other than the forest and it's usual sounds.

It hurts. Not just where the water hit, but all over there are small scratches and bruises.

You finally manage to walk back to where you told Robin and Vance to meet. They run over asking what happened, and if you're alright.

You fill them in on what happened. They both look more concerned about your safety than anything.

"Let's never talk about this again." You grumble.

You're still about a day away from Chloroville.


	13. Thread 13

You're tired, wet, bruised, covered in scratches, and just altogether miserable. But you're also tough, and determined, and used to pushing forward despite all that. You want to keep your eyes peeled for wild Pokemon before you get to Chloroville.

"Are you sure you're up for that?" Vance looks you up and down. You must look as bad as you feel.

"Vance is right," Robin adds. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard." She picks a leaf out of your hair.

As annoying as it is to have them trying to baby you, it's also a little nice. People usually don't ask or even care about how you're doing. "I'll be fine guys, really. It's just some scratches, nothing serious." Superficial stuff like this never bothered you.

You, Vance, and Robin take a quieter path a little bit away from the main road. The dirt turns to mud and you all find yourselves hopping over puddles or getting your feet stuck. "My boots were heavy enough as it is. With all this mud I'm waddling just like a… umm. What was that Pokemon you said might be around here?"

"Wooper" Robin offers as she jumps between the small islands of relatively solid dirt between the murky puddles.

You take big long strides through the mud with your boots. "Right! Just like-" You get cut off as your foot is lifted off the ground and you're sent flipping into the muddy water. As soon as you're in it, you feel a jolt of electricity coarse through your entire body. You feel your limbs flail wildly, whether in surprise or in reaction to the jolt, you're not sure. You manage to scramble to your feet and desperately wipe the mud out of your eyes and ears. As you're getting your bearings, you see Vance and Robin jumping away from a small, brown, flopping, disk-shaped Pokemon.

Vance laughs at you boyishly, and then at Robin as she tries to avoid it while at the same time trying not to step in mud either. She slips and falls and ends up covered almost as much as you are.

Vance's laugh stops as the flopping Pokemon jumps at him. He catches it in one hand effortlessly. A small amount of mud shoots over him. He actually looks pretty cool.

Until it shocks him. He flinches just enough for it to escape and slap him in the face with it's tail before landing back in the mud.

You take out your Pokedex. It's a good thing it's already a hunk of junk, otherwise you might be worried about it from the mud. "StunFister, the tarp Pokemon. Its skin is strong, so it is unhurt even if stepped on by large, careless trainers. It smiles when transmitting electrolytes."

Did your Pokedex just insult you? Well, at least that sounded vaguely like it's correct. Vance is chasing it around a tree, splashing mud everywhere. Robin is doing her best to get as far away from it and Vance as possible to avoid any mess.

"Vance! Why don't you fight it?"

He continues chasing it around. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"With your Pokemon!" You wipe large armfuls of mud off yourself as you speak.

He stops in his tracks. "Oh, yeah. Ok." He's about to take out Machop when you catch up to him and grab his massive arm.

"Oh no. With your other Pokemon," you say, looking him in the eyes.

He nods and throws out Ursaring. The gigantic beast roars as it's released into the mud. It doesn't seem to actually mind the mud itself, just that it's being disturbed.

You try to be subtle, but you check to make sure that you're flute is within easy access and clean enough to play.

Robin runs behind you to use you as a shield against the mud and wild Pokemon. "Aren't you going to give him advice?"

"Nah. This is one of those times he'll have to figure out what to do on his own." You also have no idea about what he should do either besides fight it, but you don't want to actually say that. You and Robin watch the fight.

Vance puts on his authoritative, wise attitude. "Alright Ursaring. Let's do this. Hit it with Leer!" The Ursaring glares at it's enemy, but you can't tell if it's just angry, or using the move. That seems to be it's regular expression. It glares back at Vance, but is suddendly slapped in the face by the other Pokemon. It braces itself for battle against it's newfound mortal enemy.

Vance takes this as a good sign. "Alright! I think we're on the same team now. Ursaring, use Fury Swipes!" Again, you're not sure if it's obeying Vance, or just angry, but it swipes wildly at the StunFister, or whatever it's called. Ursaring seems to be easily winning regardless of the circumstances. It quickly knocks the flopping brown Pokemon into a tree, where it bounces off and sinks into the mud.

"Good job Ursaring!" Vance pats it on the back. Ursaring then turns around and growls at him. The flopping Pokemon leaps out of the mud again and bounces off both their faces. Paws, fists, and tails fly as it turns into a threeway battle.

Ursaring strikes Vance, Vance boots the Stunfister, and the Stunfister shocks them both. Finally Vance and Ursaring seem to team up against the brown electric bastard and knock it out in a coordinated strike. Vance pants and puts his hand on Ursarings shoulder, "Whoo. Good job buddy." It glares at him, but doesn't try to rip his throat out, which Vance takes as progress. He still returns Ursaring before it changes it's mind though.

Robin peers over your shoulder. "Is it over yet? Did he die?"

Har har. Vance at least seems happy to have gotten a fight in, even if it's not entirely what you intended. Your party gathers up and continues onward. Nobody seems interested in catching the annoying Pokemon. There's still a short while before you'll arrive. You might as well make some conversation.

"Great job Vance!" You slap him on the back. "Did you learn something useful?"

"I learned that an opponent isn't down until it's down." He takes your question seriously, like a test.

"Vance, what's your goal as a martial artist? What do you want to work on specifically?"

He considers his answer carefully. "I want to start my own dojo some day. I don't feel like I know enough to be teaching others though." You look away for a brief second. "Short term improvements? You saw how that Pokemon surprised me with it's electricity, and how Ursaring managed to land blows. I guess I want to learn how to read my opponents better."

"I think that's a really neat goal!" Robin says. Normally you might be a little jealous about how enthusiastic she said that, but she might just be admiring his dedication to a chosen path. She's still not sure what she wants to do after all.

You flick off some more mud. "So, either of know anything about Chloroville, or the gym?"

Vance turns to you. "I've only been here for a meditation class. It was really great though."

"Meditation class? From an older man, with a turban? Wispy white hair?" Robin's eyes open in surprise. Vance nods in the affirmative. "Master Sato?"

"How did you know? Vance asks.

"He's the gym leader in Chloroville. I'd watch his fights for my dad." She pauses, sighs, and continues, "He was always meditated between battles." Robin turns to you know, since this is information you'll probably want. "He doesn't push his Pokemon hard at all, but don't take him lightly. He specializes in controlling the battlefield. His gym is covered in grass, but he keeps a glass ceiling to let in sunlight when he needs it. He rarely tries to beat his opponents, he just let's them beat themselves on the field."

Sounds like he's a smart guy. You hope this isn't too hard.

"What about the city in general?" You change the subject back to the original question to hide your anxiety. "Any cool stuff to do?"

Both Robin and Vance list off a variety of locations they've heard of but never visited. Karaoke clubs, casinos, coordinator shows. Seems like there's a lot if you have the money. As you finish the final leg towards Chloroville and find the main road again. You're amazed at the tall buildings and bright lights. The tall trees of the local swamps hid them pretty well.

It's like stepping through time. The wet, boggy smell recedes and finds itself replaced with the smell of pavement and buildings and all the other city smells that people who live here probably don't even notice anymore. The main streets are busy with people in the evening rush. You catch your reflection in the mirror and almost wince at how dirty you and your clothes are. You see a dirty little street rat staring back at you.

That'll change when you get your badge though.

Maybe you're thinking too hard on this. Vance and Robin both have some mud on them too and they don't look like they're having self-image issues.

The nearest Pokemon center is at the base of a tall building. The sign on the window shows that nothing is free here. Showers, beds, and even food are cheap, but not free. That makes sense you suppose. It's a major city and they probably don't have any shortage of trainers.

At least one thing is always free. The nurse takes your Pokemon. Vance and Robin hand theirs over as well. The nurse doesn't even talk to you. She just takes them and a number pops up on a nearby display: 3 hours.

You look around the center. There are a lot of people here, but not THAT many. The shop is enormous. There are all sorts of Pokemon related items, and some overpriced gifts and trinkets too. Even a good sized food section.

You still have half the money the Kindletown museum gave you and the winnings from that battle you won on the way. A decent, but not extravagant amount.

This Pokecenter has a wider range of items than the other one. Great balls, Nest balls, Net balls. Super Potions, and more.

"Shower time!" You grab Robin's hand gleefully and start taking her to the showers. Vance gives that same awkward look that he gave when he asked about your relationship. "You better get washed up too, Vance. You're filthy." With a wink, you're off.

This Pokemon center only has small private showering that operate on payment. You and Robin swipe your cards and get adjacent showers. At least it depenses nice smelling soaps and shampoos.

Robin quietly calls out to you from her stall, "Robin?" Once again you remember that she calls you that when you two are alone.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

You must have had water in your ears. She's sorry? "What for?"

You can see her feet under the stall. She's stopped moving. "I'm sorry I gave you a hard time for taking that fossil. It wasn't right. I was mad that you didn't tell me the whole story, and still upset over my dad. That doesn't mean I have the right to tell you how to live your life and who to be though. That's no different from me forcing Eevee to evolve or acting like my dad."

You're shower timer runs out. You'll put more money in it in a second. "Does that mean you don't mind if I steal?"

"Well, I don't approve, but I don't want you to think I won't be friends with you because of that. I'd rather just disagree with you over it but still be friends than have you resent me for forcing you to be someone else."

"That's OK. I won't try to change you from being a nerd." You tease her. Robin's laughter reverberates in your stall. "I promise I won't steal anything unless it's from a bad person, or a really desperate situation. Whatever happens though, I won't lie to you. How's that sound?"

"...That sounds nice." Robin says. You can only see her feet, but you can tell a lot of tension has left her body. An evil thought crosses your mind. You slip under the barrier and invade her stall. The tension you saw slip away return with force.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Robin asks. Her body tenses and turns red. Her entire body.

"Stealing water of course," you joke. She gives you as much of 'the look' as she can muster at the moment, which just comes off as silly. "What?" You manage. "This is desperate. I need you to get the knots out of my hair." You turn around. Without her looking at your face, you let your evil smirk return.

Robin tries to be indifferent and lets out a forced sigh. "Oh, alright." She massages your scalp. There are a few painful pulls here and there, but otherwise this is heaven. You're eyes roll back and drift aimlessly, until they see the ground, and your vague, puddled reflection in the water.

"Robin?"

"Sorry, It's pretty rough. That mud got in deep."

"No not that." You're surprised at how much you have to struggle to keep your voice from cracking. "Robin...do you think I'll ever be more than a street rat and a thief?

Her hands stop. She takes them out of your hair and then puts them on your shoulder and spins you around to face her. "You helped me find Eevee. You helped me find enough courage to stand up to dad and be a better trainer by not forcing what he wanted on Eevee. You're not a street rat or a theif to me. We haven't even known each other that long and already you're the best, most important person in my life." She maintains eye contact, inches away. You feel a huge mix of emotions. Maybe even-

The shower stops suddenly. There's only the sound of dripping now. It's just too much. You quickly grab the card behind her and swipe it through the machine again, turning the water on.

"Gah! This soap in my eyes!" You say, rubbing your eyes furiously. Robin tries to tell you it's supposed to be a 'no-tears' formula, but you somehow convince her it's just irritating them.

You both meet Vance back at the lobby and grab a surprisingly decent meal in the cafeteria, despite how it looks. Vance goes back for seconds and thirds before paying for you both over Robin's protests. There's still a decent amount of time before your Pokemon will be ready.

You tell Robin and Vance that you want to go have some fun at the casino! They both agree heartily. It's the Thunder Road Casino a few blocks down the road.

That reminds you. "Robin, can you take a look at this stone? I think it's a thunderstone."

She takes it from you and looks it over for a second. "Yup! This would turn a Pikachu into a Raichu, or an Eevee," she pauses. "It would turn an Eevee into a Jolteon." She becomes lost in her own world, thinking on that subject. She doesn't exhibit any particular emotion, she just looks lost in thought.

You turn to Vance. "So Vance, how did you meet Machop anyway?"

"Oh, that's a funny story. My family runs a gym in Braundalin. Not a Pokemon gym, but a gym that allows Pokemon." You nod. "Every day Machop would come in first thing and start pumping iron. Not iron pills mind you, but lifting weights." Yeah, you got that. You nod again. "Anyway, we thought he belonged to a local trainer. We asked around and nobody knew him. Eventually we just sort of adopted him." You guess some Pokemon just choose their trainers. "Don't you guys think it's weird we can just go to a casino here?" Vance changes the subject.

It brings Robin back into the real world though. "Other regions let people even younger than us into casinos. It must be strange to go to one of these places and interact with a bunch of young kids. Then again, you don't have to be very old to start out as a trainer either."

As she says that, you arrive at the door. Vance holds it open for you and Robin. The sights and sounds are just amazing. There are servers with trays diving between customers, delivering drinks. There are machines blinking and plinking, even tables with various card games. In one corner there are people placing bets on Pokemon matches being broadcast on television.

You see that besides just being able to cash out, there are some prizes too.

You eyes scan over the prize tables. Smaller prizes include Pokedolls, Pokeballs, potions, and an assortment of little trinkets not relating to Pokemon.

Bigger prizes include Great and Ultra balls, Super Potions and things like that. There are some other items like perfumes and cheap jewelery, clothes and household items, things like that

The big prizes include actual Prosapia Corporation Pokemon. The list says there are Scythers, Dratinis, Wobuffets, Abras, and others. There's even a brand new Pokedex.

"What's Prosapia?" You ask to Robin.

"It's a company that makes Pokemon equipment like the Devon corporation or Silph co. The also sell rare Pokemon." Oh.

There the regular out cashout option too of course. Nothing like good old plain money

Blackjack is probably your best shot. You used to dominate this game back at the orphanage. You only bet candy, but you were never short on it. You pull up a seat and eye your competition. To your left is a middle aged lady complaining about her job to nobody in particular. Probably blowing off steam. To your right is a clearly drunk business man, loudly joking around.

You cautiously play small bets. After a few hands you come out with a small gain. You haven't won much, but you are winning.

You're on a roll. Let's do this thing!

You keep a close eye on your fellow players, the dealer, and most importantly the cards. You don't really have the head for the card counting stuff, but you do your best to maintain a good idea of how the odds ebb and flow in and out of your favor.

You destroy the next few rounds. You maximize the bet you made and come out expanding your small bet into a nice, big pool.

"That's just how I wanted to end my day!" The middle aged woman excuses herself after losing the rest of her money. Two other players take her spot.

The drunk business man leans over a little uncomfortably close. "Well, it looks like Lady Luck is your best friend tonight," he slurs. Luck has nothing to do with it.

You have enough for a bigger prize and a little change. The biggest prizes are just a little beyond your current winnings though.

Robin and Vance are getting into this even more than you are. A small crowd is gathering to watch as you just massacre the rest of the table. You don't show off though, you're focused, careful. You know how fickle these things can be. At least, they usually are. You tune out the crowds and just keep trying to concentrate. You get another 21. Then another. You're on fire.

Which makes this the perfect time to stop. Your winnings are massive. There's nowhere to go from down from here. You put down the cards, thank your fellow players, and gather your winnings from the table. The crowd voices their disappointment, but you don't care. You won big time!

Vance pats you on the back, nearly knocking you over. "I can't believe how lucky you are! That was amazing!"

"Me? Lucky? Oh no. I don't 'do' luck. That was all skill." To prove your point, you take out a coin and put it in the nearest slow machine. You win a small jackpot. If this is how the universe wants to prove you wrong, you're totally fine with that. "OK, so maybe it was a little luck."

Robin and Vance help you collect the winnings as it's just barely enough to be spilling onto the floor. As you get to your feet, you notice two men in suits approach. They're intimidating, but not nearly as much as they would be if you didn't have just as much muscle packed onto one convenient Vance.

"It seems you've had quite a successful night. Why don't you retire to one of our complimentary suites for the evening, and enjoy the other amenities that the Thunder Roads Casino offers?"

You look at your companions. Robin looks a little overwhelmed at the situation. Vance, to his credit, has clearly positioned himself between you and them.

"That sounds great!" You grab the keycard from on the men's hands. "We'll head up there later on. My friends and I want to do a little celebrating first though. Come on guys, let's head over to the karaoke lounge." Like a streetwise gambler, you know when to walk away. Vance and Robin follow you closely.

"What was that about?" Robin asks.

"I didn't even cheat or steal or anything!" You say, throwing your hands up. "That's how they all are. You actually start winning their games, even by their own rigged rules, and they try to buy you off or beat you down!"

"Uh, okay Kat." Robin says. Poor sheltered Robin. She just doesn't get it. Surely Vance knows what you're talking about, right? You glance over to him. He's giving you a patronizing look.

It's a good thing you just won big, or you might be upset. You arrive at the prize desk. You might as well collect before heading to the karaoke lounge.


	14. Thread 14 parts 1 and 2

"I want the Abra!" You tell the person at the counter.

"Big winner tonight, eh?" You exchange most of your winnings and receive a Pokeball. You can see Robin is still looking over the prize listings, eying the others. She lingers just a little longer on the Dratini. You almost picked that one.

You still have a good amount of winnings left over. Not enough for another Pokemon, but enough to get a a lot of smaller prizes or a couple of the medium ones.

"Do you think I should have gotten Dratini instead?" You ask Robin.

She becomes aware of your presence, "Oh, no. I mean, you should get the one you want. I was just thinking that Abras are less rare, but harder to catch than Dratinis. It's a tough call."

"Tell you what. Do you have any of money on you? If you want to get the Dratini, I'll throw in my winnings towards it."

Robin takes out her card and does some quick mental math. "Well, I could do it if I don't...wait, no! I can't accept that. It's too much."

"Really! I insist!" You push back. She's been a great friend to you. "You said something really nice to me back at the Pokemon center. Let me prove you right, OK?" You look her in the eyes.

"I...I don't know. It's really nice, but I can't take that much from you just for myself..." She's a little closer to accepting, but not all the way there.

Vance steps in and puts down a small wad of money. "How about we all pitch in? It can belong to all of us." Vance gives you a thumbs up and a wink from behind Robin.

"Really? You guys want to split it three ways?" Robin looks at both of you.

"Of course," you say. "Come on Robin, you want to be a team player, right? Vance and I are on board."

"Oh... Ok!" She says with some enthusiasm.

"Great! But since you were the last one to agree, you'll have to be the one to train and take care of it. Don't come to me or Vance asking us to do that stuff. It has to be registered to one person too, so it'll have to be under your name."

Robin chokes back a tear. "You guys... Thank you!" Even Robin can see what happened here. Still, you all keep up the pretense. You all pitch in and Robin recieves the Pokeball with the Dratini. You both take your Pokemon out as soon as you exit the casino and start walking to the karaoke lounge.

Vance looks at the little Abra in your arms. "So, what are you going to name it?"

You glance over at Robin, whose adoring the small Dratini drapped around her shoulders. "Male or female?" You ask her.

She squints at it for a second. "Male."

You think for a minute. "I'll name him Raistlin."

Robin's eyes perk up and she gives you a questioning look. She must not have expected that from you. You smile at her, proud you were able to impress.

Your group finds the lounge just a little off the main road. It's an open mic affair where people just put their names down on a list, the song they want to sing, and wait their turn. The five of you (including Pokemon) find a small spot in one of the corner booths. Robin insists on getting paying for you and Vance's drinks and anything else tonight. Too bad you don't have a fake ID. You, Vance, and Robin get soft drinks and flip through the lists of songs.

Predictably, Vance sings a song from a workout montage in some boxer movie. There's some polite applause, but most of the enthusiasm comes from Vance himself. You notice he's really started to open up from when you first met him. He's dropped a lot of his 'mysterious kung-fu guru' act almost entirely and what's underneath is soft and comfortable. Not soft like a wimp, but more like a big, strong teddy bear.

Robin still seems a little over excited from getting Dratini, and she actually signs up without anybody prompting her. She sings the theme to some sort of animated children show. She might also be trying to do a dance from it, but that could just be her having a seizure. Still, she looks like she had fun, even if she's mortified that nobody but you and Vance applaud. She apologizes into the mic and excuses herself off stage.

You sing a fun party song. You're in a great mood, and you pour that energy into singing. You point to a different person and have them sing along for a verse, then point to someone else. It's a crowd pleaser. You always thought that you're a lot better with the flute than with your voice, but you get an applause that's just a little above what seems like the average here.

A fat man in shades in a back booth is watching intently. He's a bit out of the way to get him to join in. The only reason he really sticks out to you is that he nods something to the DJ in charge of running the karaoke machine.

The DJ looks at you "Want to play another?"

"OK, sure." You're having fun, and nobody else seems to want to step up.

This time you do D.O.G.A.R.S. You're still not that confident with your singing voice, so this is a great choice where that doesn't matter that much. Again, it's just a little more applause than some of the others. The DJ gives you another nod as you finish up. Guess they want you to keep going. You move on to Piano Man. A few of the less sober patrons in the back sing along.

You're running the gamut now. You keep going until finally your voice starts to crack. The man in the back gives another nod to the DJ, and then the DJ leans over to you after that song ends. "Great stuff. We're going to keep letting other people on now though, K?" Phew. You head back to the table.

Another person in a weird suit with the letter I on the chest steps onto the stage with a small, pink, round Pokemon. "Excuse me ladies and gentle. I know this is unusual, but please welcome my dear sweet Pokemon to the stage."

You, Robin, and Vance share a song booklet. Robin is scribbling down the codes for each while Vance flips through it. Raistlin sits in a corner, not reacting or really doing much. Maybe it just always sleeps? You look it over, and stare at it's closed eyes and expressionless face. You have the poor thing lifted in front of your face now, examining it closely. The sound of the pink fluffy Pokemon's song fills the room. You yawn, but keep examining it. You can't tell if he's looking at you, but you sense something from him. Maybe you should take it to a Pokemon center to get...checked out. So tired. Your eyelids are heavy. Maybe it just likes naps. Naps are nice. You put him down on the table and slump against your chair. Raistlin leans against your face.

You hear a voice. "Stupid Jigglypuff!" You're eyes open up again. There are four people in weird looking uniforms with big I's on them. They're taking plugs out of their ears and preparing large sacks. "Look! She put herself to sleep with her own song!"

"Who cares? Just grab her and any other Pokemon you can find. Hurry up too, they won't be out long." Another one of the uniformed goons barks. "Do good and you might even get to keep one."

You quickly glance around the room. Every single other person has fallen asleep. You feel very alone in such a crowded space.

They don't seem to have noticed you yet.

They don't look particularly tough. You carefully take Raistlin off your face and try to subtly wake up Vance. He's tough, you'll need him. Your put your hand over his mouth as he wakes up "Shhhh" you whisper, and point to the thieves who are taking Pokeballs and valuables off of sleeping people. He nods and you take your hand off his mouth.

Your eyes turn to Robin. She's even more defenseless looking when she's asleep. You put your hand on her mouth and gently wake her.

"mphetmp?" She tries to mumble.

You give her the same gesture. "Sshhhhh." You take your hand off her mouth.

The thieves are making their way over to your table. You need to think of something. Yes! That's it. You lean into Raistlin's ear. "get us out of here. Use...umm...Teleport to take us outside!"

With a quiet sound and a faint flash, your Abra vanishes. You, Vance, Robin and her Dratini are all still in the same spot. You look around and see Abra outside on the street through a window.

Damnit! Can they even teleport others, did he not understand, or is he just a jerk? His blank expression tells you nothing useful.

They're getting really close now. Robin is shaking. Vance looks ready to pounce.

They finish with the table next to yours. They reach for the sleeping Dratini when you give Vance a signal to pounce.

He explodes over the table and immediately knocks one of them out with a right hook. The other one almost has time to react before Vance grabs her and uses her by the legs and uses her body to break a table. The amount of sudden force and violence from Vance makes even you pause for a moment. You're glad he's on your side.

You out your flute and blow the most annoying, high-pitched note you can. The adrenaline makes you go off key, but that's actually helpful in this situation. A few people around you wake up. Dratini is awake too. Robin holds onto it while trying to also cover her ears.

The other two...gangsters? They hesitate before sending out their Pokemon to deal with Vance. One of them looks like a walking green garbage bag. The other is some sort of ball inside of a purple cloud of smoke. It has a mean look about it. They both hit Vance with attacks. You think you one of them yell 'acid spray' and the other yell 'confuse ray'.

You run passed the chaos and over to the mic. The DJ is slumped over the equipment. You push him over slightly and crank up the volume. Here goes. You blow into the flute as loud as possible into the mic.

The sound is ear shattering. It's even worse than you'd imagine Vlad using Supersonic directly in your ear. The entire place wakes up and several glasses shatter.

"Lets go! Forget about them!" One of the thieves yells. Those two only have a few items in their bags. You barely make it out over the ringing of your ears. They break and run out the door. Vance swings wildly around himself, striking a wall. That looks like it hurt his hand. His shirt is half-melted from one of the attacks

"Robin! Use Dratini!" You grab her and rush her out the door so you and her are able to see the two robbers making a run for it.

Robin tries her best to muster her bravery. She hesitates for only a fraction of a second then shouts "Thunderwave!" Dratini uses an electric attack to drop one of the burglars. His bag goes flying from his hands as he hits the floor. Pokeballs, wallets, and jewelery slide out onto the street.

You retrieve Raistlin quickly and rush back inside over to Vance. It's hard trying to stay of range of his swings. People around you are running in all directions in a panic.

"Vance. I need you to calm down. Look at me! Look at me Vance!" He continues to strike wildly at nothing.

You keep people away from Vance as best as you can. You try to make a circle around him and stop any of the panicking people from getting too close. "Vance! Look at me Vance! You need to calm down!" You need to do something. This is getting bad. "Take a good look!" You lift your shirt. He looks at you for a second then smashes another table, turning it into debris. You can't help but visualize that table as your ego before getting back into the seriousness of the situation.

A middle aged woman runs passed you and into Vance's perimeter of violence. You push her down and out of the way a fraction of a second before Vance's arm swings around, missing her by a hair. She catches herself before she hits the ground.

You grab a glass of some sort of drink, water maybe, and throw it in his face. That gives you an opening and you slap in as hard as you can in the face. Something has to work! As you land the slap, you feel what can only be a canon ball strike you. You're sent spiraling back until you crash into a table.

You don't know how long it lasts, but you fight against the darkness encroaching on all sides of your vision. It could be seconds, it could be hours. All sense of time and space are gone as you only see a narrow tunnel of vision.

The world comes into focus once more. You see Vance looking over you. His rage has been replace by horror and worry.

"Oh no...I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. Kat. I'm so sorry. Please."

A dull pain throbs somewhere in the background of your consciousness.

"What are you doing looking after me! Get that last goon before someone loses their Pokemon you idiot!" Vance nods then rushes out the door.

You take a second to gather yourself. You can do this. Just get it together. You feel your surroundings, your thoughts, your logic and consciousness spill back into the empty container that seconds ago was your mind. Where you are and what exactly is happening comes flooding back. You stagger passed the various strangers to the door then look for Robin. You see her and Vance chasing after someone way down the street. Vance rushes passed Robin.

You're focused now. You're friends might need you. Vance is tough, but you have to make sure that Robin is alright. You will away the remaining fog and burst into a run after them. You can't clearly make it out exactly, but you see the man they're chasing throw something behind himself and take off down a back alley.

As you catch up, you see Vance, Robin, and even gathering the goods he dropped. Robin pants, "I think this is everything." She looks at your face and you can see her expression turn to worry. "Are you alright?"

Vance looks guilty.

"Vance knocked me on my ass, but I'm fine now." Vance looks away ashamed. "Vance, it's alright. I know that you weren't all there. We're cool." You try to brush it off as no big deal in the hopes that he does the same. He gives you an appreciative look.

"Are you sure?" He asks. He looks like he wants to touch you on the shoulder or something, but he doesn't do it.

"I'll live. That was an accident Vance. You were confused. I forgive you. Besides, if it weren't for you, that could have been a lot worse."

Vance looks like a huge weight has lifted off of his gigantic chest. Robin pats him on the back and you join in. You congratulate Robin on her quick thinking with Dratini too. The three of you make your way back to the karaoke lounge.

You're greeted by applause from the crowd. People surround your group to shake hands and thank you, Robin, and Vance. You're still a bit out of it and do your best to smile and return handshakes. The police arrive after a few minutes and get statements from everyone, including your group. The three caught thugs are carted off by the cops.

For the second time in just a few days, you find yourself giving the police a report. Once again you're not in trouble, you're actually helping them. It still feels just as weird.

"And the last Team Imperium member just dropped his stolen goods and ran?" The officer asks. Robin confirms the statement. Team Imperium? You'll have to ask about that later.

A short, wide man with sunglasses (at night?) pushes passed the police to get to you. You recognize him as the man that was giving signals to the DJ. "Kid, I can tell by the look on your face that you have no idea who I am. That's alright, that means what I saw back there was genuine and not a show for the big dog. I represent the Devon Corporation. It's based in Hoenn but we're making real good growth here. Anyway, I'm what you might call a talent scout. I find promising young trainers like yourself, and give them a helping hand."

"All we ask in return is that you wear some of our clothes, keep trying your best to get the rest of your badges and make a good showing at the league, and look good doing it. You play your cards right, you might even make it big! Commercials, TV spots, lots of great potential to get your face out there." He turns to Vance. "And you! What sculptor carved you? Have you ever done any modeling? Any professional wrestling?" He puts his arm around Vance now.

Vance politely removes the man's arm. "Devon Corporation? Kat, is that why you named your Houndour 'Devon'?"

"I just thought it was a nice name." You're feeling a little out of your element. You don't know much about the business world. This guy might just be some kind of grifter though, better play it cool.

He puts his hand on his chest dramatically. "Kid! You're breaking my heart here! You named your Pokemon after our company?" He either didn't hear you or chose not to. "Without even getting a sponsorship deal? Tell me there's more of you! Is this not a match made in heaven? This must be fated by the stars themselves! This is destiny! Now look, I have to ask, how many badges do you all have?"

You're not sure how honest you want to be. You're not totally convinced this guy is legitimate. Robin takes the choice from you. "None yet. We just got in town. She's going to challenge the gym and get her first badge soon!" Robin thinks she's being helpful.

"That put's me in an awkward position. I think you've got loads of moxie, guys, I really do, but our shareholders need a little more than just 'they've got moxie' when it comes to the people we sponsor. If they were risk takers, they wouldn't invest in such a sound company, ya' see?" He hands each of you a business card. "The second you get your sixth, no, fifth badge, you call me. I mean it, accept the badge in one hand and dial my number in the other."

"I know the kind of publicity the Elite Four, the Champion gets. If I make it big, I make it big even without you. Why lock my options now? What are you offering me? What do I get out of this?"

He makes another overly dramatic gesture like you've psychically wounded him "Jeez kid. What are you, an agent too?" He elbows Robin. "The Electrodes on this one, huh?

You cross your arms and tap your feet. "No thanks."

"There are cops round kid, you don't have to kill me right here out in public!" He's trying to joke, but you're blunt reaction has thrown him off his game.

He's still not giving specifics. You start walking away.

"Woah woah! OK! To be honest kid, it depends on the circumstances. If you've got style, charisma, and you're a team player, you can get some great stuff. Customized Pokeballs, great clothes, bags, our latest in Pokegear. Travel expenses of course." He pulls his shades down a little "But you need to have style! Flare! Pizazz! Whatever you call it. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you look good doing it, ya get me?"

It is pretty far away. Might as well see how you're feeling down the line. "We'll see." You pocket the card.

"That's the toughest sell I've ever seen. You keep that tough attitude up, and you'll go far in this business kid." His phone starts playing a hip hop version of the Escape Rope jingle. "Excuse me, I have to take this." He flips open his phone and starts walking away.

The streets are getting dark.

You head over to the Pokemon Center. As you're walking back, you take out Raistlin. You hold him up to your face and look him in the eyes. "Hey Raistlin. When I told you to use Teleport, I meant for you teleport us all out of danger." He cocks his head. At least that's some sort of reaction. "I wasn't clear, we'll work on it, OK?" He doesn't react.

There's a different nurse on shift now. You've been out for a long time. You, Robin, and Vance get your Pokemon back.

"I feel safer just having them with me." Robin says. "No offense Vance."

He shrugs. "None taken. I feel safer knowing I can unleash Ursaring and Machop on the next group of robbers that try that!"

"Come on guys. We have a nice, free, hotel to spend the night in." Robin and Vance both do their best to cheer and be enthusiastic. They look pooped, but happy.

You all walk back to the casino and hotel without incident. The suite is better than you expected. Holy- is that a hot tub? You run in and dive on the first king sized bed you've ever touched. The blankets and sheets are so soft. Look at that bathroom!

"Swanky!" Vance announces his opinion as he sets down his luggage.

"Can we live here?" Robin asks half jokingly. She walks into the bathroom. "Kat, look at this shower. It's bigger than my room!" She stops for a second and sighs, "It's bigger than my old room. Oh, this shampoo! I'm calling first use of this shampoo." You were worried for a second there.

You hear a splash from back in the main room of the suite. Looking back you see Vance and Machop splashing in the hot tub. You can only see his top half.

"Vance! When did you even...are you naked?" To your right you see Robin cover her eyes but peer through the slits of her fingers.

"What?" He gets up. "I changed into my bathing suit." You wish he said that before getting up, since you have to steady Robin after she almost faints. "Are you guys going to join me?" He doesn't wait for an answer and goes back to playing with Machop. When did he even change into that?

Robin grabs her back, heads back into the bathroom and closes the door. "Turn the bubbles on!" she yells through the door. You're starting to notice that her shyness breaks down at the end of a long day.

A minute later she comes out wearing a bathing suit. "Do you have anything to wear?"

"I actually don't have anything. Do you have something I can wear?"

Robin thinks for a minute. "Well, it might be a little small on you."

"I'd rather have small than nothing at all." You wink.

Robin blushes and produces a bikini from her bag. She feels the need to explain herself. "I was hoping to get some tanning done between scouting gyms before...everything happened. For vitamin D."

You take the two piece suit and change in the bathroom. It IS small on you, but it probably feels worse than you think, right? You give yourself a once over in the mirror before you had back out. Eh. You're too tired to care.

You had no idea how stiff and sore you truly were until you crawled into the tub. You practically melt. Only one more thing can make this perfect.

You lean out of the tub and grab a bottle from your bag. This particular one is pretty big, but just by looking at it you can tell it's nasty tasting.

"Woah. Where did you even get that?" Vance asks you.

"As your master and trainer. I command you to drink and not ask questions." You take a swig and hand Robin the bottle. She chugs as best as she can. She must still be trying to impress you. She hands the bottle to Vance.

You bend over of the tub and reach out to your bag again and start fetching your Pokeballs. "Come on out everybody!" You release all of your Pokemon. There's a small ruckus before they all settle down and start exploring the room and socializing with each other. You ease back into the tub and catch Vance choking down a large gulp. Something must have pushed him over the edge to take it. You rest your lower back right in front of a jet. Heaven.

Robin seems to be spinning in her own little world. Her feet gently kick up to the surface of the tub. "Hmm? Well, Master Sato's style seems to depend a lot playing to the strengths of the battlefield. He two different teams he uses for inexperienced trainers. My dad has two teams too, but one is crazy strong!" Vance hands her back the bottle and she takes another shot. She takes a pretty large amount, and hands it over to you. "Lessee... Pansage, Lombre, and Snover are the ones I know. He *hiccup* He yush...He yushually...He Ush-shu-wah-lee does three on three battlesh." Well, that hit her hard.

You and Robin are mostly submerged in the tub, but the water only comes up to Vance's belly button. "...So Vance, big guy. You said before you took classes with him for meditating, right?" You take a drink. You have to shake your head. It's been a really long day and the bottle hits you like a sack of bricks.

"Yeah! Yeah, I usually don't go for that sort of thing, believe it or not. I was trying to learn more about Meditites."

"And did you learn anything?" You poke him in the chest with the bottle. He takes it from you and has another drink. You shift back against that magical water jet and readjust your top.

"Yeah. They're really, really boring."

Robin bursts into laughter and splashes all over.

You put your hand on Robin and Vance's shoulders. "Alright, alright. Guys. Let's play truth or dare! Come on!"

They both readily agree. This might be fun.

"OK, OK. OK. Since you're a freaking truck and are probably feeling it the least, you go first Vance. Truth, or dare?"

He thinks for a moment. "Dare."

You grab the bottle back and mark a spot with your finger. "I dare you to drink the bottle up to here."

"OooooooOooooOOOoooo" Robin adds a dramatic flair.

Vance looks at the bottle, takes a deep breath, lets it out, puts the bottle to his mouth and turns it upside down.

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" You and Robin start chanting. Vance's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows each mouthful. You and Robin both cheer when he gets to a certain point, and he takes that as his cue to stop.

"Whooooo!" He shakes his face like a dog. "WhoooOoOOOOOO! Wow!" His face contorts into a series of ridiculous messes before he calms down. "That was...wow." Vance leans down into the tub. This time he's much more relaxed. You feel his knees touch yours as he leans back. The water comes up to his armpits now. "Hooo. Oh boy." He manages to say. He looks up to the ceiling. Machop gives him a funny look.

Probably a good idea to give him a minute.

You turn to Robin. "Truth or Dare, Robmo!" You're sure that sounded dumb, but you don't care.

Robin puts her finger to her mouth, "Hmm, dare!"

"I dare you..." You lean in close to Robin. "I dare you to sing and do the dance for I'm a Little Teapot."

She bursts out laughing. "Whaaaaaat?"

Vance looks like he's coming back around. "What? Teapot?"

"You heard me!" You're probably shouting a bit. "Come on Robin. Stop stalling."

Robin stands up. "Alright. Here goesh." She giggles again. "I'm a little teapot, short and stout," she giggles again. "Here is my handle, here is my shhhhpout!" She kicks water and you as she she ends each verse. "When I get all steamed up, hear me sshshout!" She yells the last word. "Tip, me over, and pour me out!" She leans a little too far and falls into the tub. You manage to catch her and get her right side up before she can splash too much. To your credit you put her upright before any unseemly thoughts cross your mind.

Vance comes back fully to the world of the living. "Hey! Wait a minute. You stole my turn!" Damn.

Robin leans right into your face and wags her finger. "Youuuuuuu diiiiid! You're always doing bad shhhtuff like that!" She giggles. "But we caaaaught you!~"

"Alright. I guess it's only fair."

Vance shakes his head again. He must still be fighting the booze from his dare. "Truth, or dare?"

"Truth!" You break the pattern. Plus you'll probably need a few more shots before you dare to do anything that's worth a dare. On that note, you grab the bottle and take another drink. "Lay it on me big guy!"

Vance thinks for a second. "Alright. Alright. I got one. Alright? Here it is." Yeesh. Dramatic much? "Alright. Kat. What is...alright. What is..." He hiccups. "OK. What is your real name?"

Oh yeah. That. You guess he must have caught on that you haven't told him yet. Maybe he's not as dense as he seems sometimes. Maybe he doesn't know and he's just bluffing.

Robin looks uninterested. The two of your already settle the matter with the name she gave you. She splashes Machop, who splashes her back.

You get him to lean over closely. You motion for him to present his ear. He uses his hand to make a cone around his ear and gets close to you. You put your hand on his leg and get right up in there. "My real name is..."

You say your name loud enough for Robin to hear. He jumps back in surprise as you laugh. Robin laughs too. Finally Vance caves in and joins you both. Robin looks like she's too out of it to remember. Not that it really matters.

"You know, you could have just told me before." Vance says.

"Then I wouldn't have this great little buffer zone for Truth or Dare to make you waste turns, now would I?" You give him a wink and a smile.

Robin's turn comes up. She dares Vance to do the teapot dance. Apparently that's just hilarious to her. You have to admit that seeing him do it is pretty funny. He also slips at the end, but it takes the combined effort of you, Robin, and Machop to right him again. You take a glance around the room and see your Pokemon are mostly resting on the various cushions and soft spots in the room. Vlad looks particularly funny hanging from the coat rack.

You take another drink and pass on the bottle. It's your turn. At least you think so, you haven't really been keeping track that well. Neither has anyone else.

You leer over to the petite redhead to your left. "Alright Robin. Truth, or dare?"

You hand her the bottle and she takes another drink. Robin makes a show of trying to decide. She puts her finger on her mouth again, or at least she tries to, but she misses by a little bit. "Truth!"

Robin passes the drink over to Vance.

You decide to keep things light and fluffy.

"So Robin." She tries to sit up straight to brace herself for whatever you hit her with. You shift over to her side of the tub. In a low tone, you ask, "Would you ever be into a girl?" You're face to face with her. She blushes and looks down. "I..."

You don't wait for a proper response. You straddle her hips and whisper in her ear. "How much do you love it when I tease you?" Again, before she can answer, you act. You nibble on her ear, making sure your hands brush against that one weak spot on her neck and the other on the small of her back. Your body presses into hers.

A satisfying faint whimper escapes her lips. "Ah! I-I don't...Ah. I don't know! I really don't. Ah.~" She manages to blurt out. You can tell that's what she really thinks. Reluctantly, you stop. You stay on her lap though.

Vance is chugging the bottle without you or Robin egging him on, but keeping both eyes glued on the two of you. You both look over to him. You've never seen a male look so uncomfortable in real life.

"Oh. My turn? Umm. Kat, truth or dare I guess?"

You try your best to look sober and in control

"Dare!"

He stops drinking for a second. "Whooo. Oh man, what is this shtefffh?" It's about time he started feeling it. "OK Vance. All you know. Need a dare. Neeeeeed a dare. Umm..." He slaps himself. "Hoo. Man. I'm barely here." He really did chug that thing. You feel a little guilty about leaving him with the bottle unsupervised.

"Alright. Kat. How about this? I dare you to umm..."

"Come on Vance. Don't take all night."

He takes another drink to work up the courage. "I dare you take off your bikini bottom."

Pffttt. You struggle to squeeze out of them and toss them at his face. The bubbles protect your 'modesty'. "Give me a hard on next turn Vance!"

He takes them from his face. He manages a faint. "OK."

It's Robin's turn next. She dares Vance to drink another four ounces. He takes a minute to build himself up, until he finally just goes for it. He chugs.

"GO! GO! GO!" You and Robin cheer.

Once again, he downs the bottle to the specified spot. He's looking very out if it. He drags himself out of the hot tub and wanders around the room, dripping a little water.

You're on Robin's lap. You look at her face and she's pretty plastered too. She's not going anywhere though. She smiles at you.

"So Robin." You straddle her more aggressively. You lean in and whisper to her. "Truth, or dare?"

You're vaguely aware that you're only wearing your small top. Damn thing is tight. You readjust it again.

"I...uh...dare." She's as red as her hair.

"I'm feeling self conscious about being the only one to not have a bottom part. Take yours off."

Robin doesn't seem willing or able to blush any more than she already is. Both of her hands vanish beneath the water. You see her wiggle and widget for a second before she presents you with her bikini bottom.

"There!" She says proudly. You take it from her hand and toss it across the room. You readjust the tiny top she lent you once again.

"Thanks. Now here's your dare"

She slaps herself on her forehead. "Youuuuuu tricked meeeeeeee!" She drunkenly proclaims. She stifles a giggle.

"Whatever it is you were hoping I wouldn't say: Do it."

Robin things about it for a second before trying to imitate you. "I'm sorry for teasing you shhho much Robin. I'll shhtop now and never do it again. I won't tease you in the shower or get ush both half naked and cuddle at night. Never again!"

Wait, is that what she hopes you wouldn't say, or is she just saying this herself?

She grabs you by the hand. "Come on. Let's go to bed." She smiles warmly at you. You both get out of the tub and head to the large bed in the suite. Vance is sprawled out half on the bed and half off of it. Not really conscious but not sleeping either.

You and Robin dive under the covers, hand in hand.


	15. Thread 15 parts 1 and 2

Thirsty. You're very thirsty. Heavy too. You want something to drink, but you also can't stand the idea of getting up. This bed is wonderful.

Bed? That's right. You're in a hotel room. Last night you, Robin, and Vance had a bunch of drinks. You played truth or dare, then you and Robin went to bed.

Your eyes shoot open. You, Robin, Vance, and all of your Pokemon are sleeping all over the bed covered in Pokemon. Vance is at the foot of it, while Robin is under a mountain of blankets. The unset alarm clock says it's almost eleven.

Oh crap! That's check out time!

"Everyone! Get up! We have to go." You yell and run to the bathroom to get changed. You're much less tired and thirsty now. You finish up and run back over to the bed. "Come on, we have to go or they might try to charge us for another day or something!"

Vance and Robin stir awake. Vance gets up and his blanket of Pokemon slid off of him onto the bed. "Sorry." He says to Devon as he flops onto an empty space on the massive bed. Devon just rolls, then yawns.

"Get dressed let's go!" You try to rush them. You toss Robin some of her clothes and she changes under the covers. When you look back at Vance, he's already changed. How does he do that?

You do your best impression of a cowboy as you retrieve your six Pokemon in rapid succession. You blow the imaginary smoke off the last Pokeball before gathering up the rest of your stuff. As soon as Robin and Vance are done you drag them in a run to the reception desk.

One minute to spare! You check out and to your relief there's no extra charges or anything else to threaten your wallet. You decide to head out of the building before that changes.

The sun is cruel. It's bright rays punish you for your drinking. "Ugh" Is all Robin seems capable of saying right now. Even the invincible Vance has some bags under his eyes and a slouch. He heads to a nearby drink machine and gets the three of you some fresh water bottles.

He drinks his in one motion, then wipes his mouth on his arm. "So, I guess we're heading to the gym?"

You look up at Vance. "I need breakfast. Greasy, delicious breakfast."

Robin raises her hand to second the motion.

"Alright then. Let's go get something to eat."

The three of you make your way over to the Pokemon Center. Vance is probably broke from pitching in to buy Dratini.

There's no trace of the crowd you saw last time. Big city places like this are strange that way. There's always huge rushes, then nothing. That's fine for you though, it means there's no lineup to get fed.

You know in the back of your mind that the food is terrible, but right now your taste buds are telling you that the grease and salt and everything else is delicious.

Robin is looking a lot better with some food in her too. She's pounding back the food as hard as you are. She has both a glass of orange juice and a coffee that she's alternating between.

"Are you nervous about your first gym battle?" Vance asks

"Nope!" You tell them both. Robin gives you a sideways glance, but doesn't pause to stop eating. Where does she put it?

Vance leans in "You're not worried at all?"

"Not... okay, yeah. In theory someone in my position might be. From the sounds of it, it seems like this guy plays defensively. I've never gone up against a gym leader, or even anyone using that sort of strategy." Vance nods.

"I know he won't be using his best Pokemon, but it's still a bit nerve-wracking. Not for me of course, but I could see how someone in my position would see it that way. Maybe you two should think about challenging it too!"

Vance strokes his imaginary beard. Robin stops eating. "Me? Challenge a gym?" She plays with her food. "I mean, I've put a lot of thought into studying other gym leaders, but I've never really thought about how I'd do it myself."

"Yeah. I don't know. Pokemon battles aren't my best area." Vance says.

You finish your food and take back your trays. "I might make me feel less nervous about it." You offer. "Well, not 'me' me, but theoretical me." You turn to Robin. "You've been literally preparing for this your whole life without even knowing about it." You look at Vance, "And you might earn Ursaring's respect with a badge."

That seems to have pushed the right buttons. Vance and Robin mull it over in their heads as you exit the Pokemon center and start walking to the gym.

Vance seems the most apprehensive. "How about I decide after you and Robin do it?"

That brings Robin back down to Earth. "Wait, who said I was doing it?"

"You don't have to, but I really think you'd do well. Both of you." Vance and Robin smile warmly at that. You wish that was the only warmth. The sun is still beating down on you. The walk isn't very long, but the heat makes it feel a little tiring.

"Hey! Hey!" You hear a familiar voice. You look around, but don't see where it's coming from until you look down. "Hey! How are you doing?" Wait, you know that kid. It's Junior, the twerp with the Piplup that you fight back in Novum.

"Hey yourself Junior! What are you doing here?"

He beams proudly. "I told you I was going to get some badges to shove in Kindletown gym leaders face, didn't I?" He looks up at Vance. "I'm Junior!" They shake hands. Robin fills Vance in on the battle.

"And I've been training hard since then. I even caught some new Pokemon too! I want to be ready to fight the gym leader here."

So he took your advice.

He gives you a cocky smirk. "How about I show you how hard we've been training?"

"Maybe later kiddo" You brush his hair. "I need my Pokemon it top shape. I'm just heading over to the gym now and I can't have them all tired out from beating the snot out of you." You joke.

He stops trying to fight your hand. "Cool!"

"Want to watch?" You ask. Part of you hopes he says no. You'd feel pretty embarassed if you invited him and you lost.

He tries to contain his enthusiasm. "Yeah! I mean, sure. OK." Robin and Vance laugh.

The four of you now make your way to the gym together. The gym is a colossal greenhouse. Plants of all sorts crawl out of every orifice of the building. The air is heavy with the rich aroma of soul and nature, similar but distinct from the forests around Kindletown.

The sunlight is strong here.

There's what looks like a series of latticed nets made of vines hanging from the clear glass ceiling. Most larger or less agile flying Pokemon might have trouble maneuvering here. You also see several small pools of water. The dense greenery of the field makes it hard to tell exactly where the water ends sometimes.

"Welcome! My name is Master Sato." A small older man with a wispy white beard and a very long scarf-like turban yells out to you. He practically oozes sagely wisdom. "You must be here to challenge me for a gym badge."

You nod. "Umm, yes."

He strokes his (real) beard and looks you and your companions over. "Yes. Mmhmm. I see." He stops at Vance. "Oh! I remember you from my meditation classes." Vance gives a respectful bow.

Master Sato turns to Robin. "Ah yes. Here to watch more matches? You know, I'd be happy to discuss battle tactics with your father directly."

Robin blushes profusely. "You knew? I mean, you know who I am?"

He taps her lightly with his cane. "I wasn't' aware you were trying to hide it." It's no surprise that Robin wouldn't be able to scout a gym stealthily.

You ask about the rules.

"Oh yes yes. All quite simple really. I stand over there." He points to a spot across the battlefield. "And you stand over here. I'll release my Pokemon and you can decide what you'll use. We can both use three Pokemon each. You may trade out Pokemon at any time, but I won't."

Robin pipes in. "Standard league regulations dictate that you can take up to 10 full seconds when switching Pokemon. Any longer than that and it's considered stalling and may get you disqualified if you do it enough. If your Pokemon is knocked out, you have a whole two minutes to decide who to use next."

Sato nods approvingly. "Yes yes. That's quite right. And that man over there will be the referee." He points to standing by the sidelines. "Keep the battle within the white line. Your Pokemon can fly wherever they wish. You may manipulate the field as much as you'd like, but please be considerate of the trees and plants beyond it."

You look over the field. Except for two small ponds, it's covered in grass. Above the field, long vines dangle from the ceiling. They create a few small shaded areas.

"Now, shall we begin?" You look to your party. Nobody seems to want to be first.

You step forward. "Alright!" He nods and walks to the other side of the room. Your friends and Junior head over to the bleachers. Guess they're not supposed to coach you.

The referee repeats some of the rules. "This will be a three on three battle using one Pokemon at a time. Only the challenger we switch Pokemon. There is no time limit."

Master Sato throws out a ball. "Go Pansage!"

"Go Devon! Show them what you've got!" Devon's you're very first Pokemon, and a fire type too. You're sure this is a great choice. He barks.

"A smart, but predictable move." Sato yells to you. His Pansage leaps into the vines above. "You'll need to understand your surroundings to win here."

You wish you spent more time training Devon. You're not sure if you know his full capabilities yet.

"Devon! Use Ember. His Pansage leaps from vine to vine. His fast and unpredictable movement make him a hard target. The ember barely misses, but scorches through one of the vines behind him. "Just keep using it. Take out those vines!" Devon fires in rapid succession. Without having to aim too carefully, he can fire much faster. Pansage dodges gracefully until it reaches for a vine that's no longer there. It catches itself before hitting the ground. A few vines lay across the field now.

"Wise move. Perhaps I shouldn't go so easy on you." Sato points with his cane. "Use Leech Seed, Pansage." A small seed fires from Pansage and hits Devon. Tiny vines cover his body. Not enough to hinder his mobility, but they're clearly visible. A small green ball of energy flies out of Devon and into Pansage.

"You're Pokemon won't last a long time with that." Sato advises.

That Leach Seed could be trouble if you keep Devon out for too long. Now that Pansage is on the ground, you might have an advantage with Vlad.

"Alright. Devon, return! Go Vlad!" You swap them out quickly

Sato taps his cane. "Wise indeed. Alright Pansage, greet it with a Leer." The small green Pokemon gives Vlad a nasty glare. It's eyes flash for a moment.

Vlad flinches away for a second. He must be planning a physical attack to do that.

"Pansage, get ready, then use fury swipes!"

Looks like he wanted to lure you into a trap. "Vlad! Use Supersonic! Now!"

Vlad let's out a piercing screech. Why! Why do you always end up using that the day after drinking? You cover your ears and you can see Robin and Vance do the same in the bleachers. Junior just cheers.

Pansage spins in confusion. It strikes wildly and stumbles over, then gets back up, barely keeping it's balance.

"Good job Vlad! Now hit him with your strongest Wing attack!" Zubat zigs back around and dives after Pansage

"Pansage. Focus. Gather your wits! Fury attack to your right!" Pansage almost shakes it off and turns, but it's too late. Vlad's attack connects, sending Pansage flying backwards. Pansage struggles to it's feet. "Vlad come around again! Finish it off!"

Sato yells out "Wait. Pansage, return!" He returns Pansage to it's Pokeball. "Pansage lost that matchup. Please understand that it's a trainers duty to ensure their Pokemon don't struggle needlessly." He holds the Pokeball close. "Good job . You did well." He looks back over at you. "Don't take that as a weakness, young trainer. I didn't do it because I think my defeat is inevitable. Quiet the contrary."

You see the scoreboard give Sato a big red X over one of his three Pokeballs.

He throws out another Pokeball. "Snover, go!"

A snowstorm starts kicking up around Snover. Vlad's going to have a hard time dealing with that.

"You're right. It's not a good idea to have your Pokemon in a bad match-up without a way to win. Vlad, return!" You retrieve your Zubat.

"Devon! You're back in!" appears in a flash and barks proudly.

"Indeed. It would be a bad idea, without a plan! Grass whistle!" Snover covers it's mouth with it's hand and blows. There's a whistling sound that faintly reminds you of your flute.

Oh no, Devon is falling asleep! The snowy winds whip at him, but he still curls up and closes his eyes.

You take out your flute. "Can I use this?"

Sato laughs. "Not unless I can use this!" He swings his cane in the air. "I'm not sure what you'd plan on doing with that, but you need to trust your Pokemon."

The referee waves his arms. "No outside items or weapons allowed." Yeesh, sorry.

Still, you don't know what you're going to do. Switching Devon out won't help. You'll just have to hope your voice can reach him.

"Devon! Wake up! Use Ember!" This isn't going to work. Devon gets up. It worked! You knew it would work! "Devon! Ember!" You shout excitedly.

Devon rears back and fires a small but fast ball of flame. Neither Snover nor Sato must have expected Devon to recover so fast. It catches Snover completely off guard, It's a critical hit! Snover faints almost instantly.

"Yes! Great job Devon!" You can see your friends cheering hard. "Everyone is proud of you!"

The icy winds continue. Devon shivers. He looks a little worn down, but he braces for his next opponent.

"That's quite the fighting spirit. Don't celebrate too early though, this isn't over yet! Go Lombre!" You remember Robin telling you about this one. Grass and water. You notice that Sato let it out right next to one of the ponds. It looks tough.

You consider switching out, but Devon is on a roll. "Alright! Hit it with Dark Pulse!" Devon digs in and a dark energy gathers at his mouth. You remember how powerful this move was when he first learned it.

"Lombre, Fake out!" Almost faster than you can see, Lombre dashes to Devon and strikes him. The Dark Pulse fizzles out as Devon is knocked off his feet. He hits the ground. He tries to get back up, but the whipping snowstorm pushes him over the edge.

"Devon!" You hear yourself yell.

The referee waves a flag. "Houndour is unable to battle." A red X appears on your side of the scoreboard.

You retrieve Devon. "Good job out there. Take a rest." You choke back your feelings. You need to concentrate. At least Lombre seems affected by the snowstorm too.

You want to wrap this up before any more of your Pokemon are knocked out. There's no way a move like that would hurt Zappy Dan. "Zappy Dan! I choose you!"

Sato strokes his beard again. "Ah, a Magnemite. That changes my plan. Excellent choice, but don't underestimate Lombre."

You're not sure if he's hatched a new plan or if he's just trying to psyche you out. You calm yourself down. Think.

His Lombre inches towards the water. There are still some vines hanging from the ceiling, and some littering the floor of the battlefield. Zappy Dan got some good training for his special attack and defense. Dan made progress towards Thunderbolt, but you're not sure if he's mastered it yet.

"Lombre is much stronger than he looks." Sato says. "Lombre, use Rain Dance!" Lombre leaps into the pool and throws it's arms into the sky. The battlefield's icy weather is replaced with heavy rains.

"Zappy Dan, hit Lombre with a Thunderwave!" The yellow wave strikes Lombre as he's finishing the Rain Dance. You see bits of electricity arc off of him.

Sato strokes his beard once more. You bet Vance is jealous. "Hmm. clever. You've neutralized Lombre's speed advantage."

Sure, that's totally what you meant to do.

"If it's speed you want to play, we're happy to oblige. Lombre! Bubblebeam!" Lombre struggles to act, but still manages to get the move off. The bubbles strike Zappy Dan, but he is undeterred.

You're going to lock Lombre down. It doesn't matter how strong he is if he can't do anything. "Alright Zappy Dan! Supersonic!"

"Hide under the water Lombre!" You hear Sato try to counter. Lombre's paralysis keeps him from moving fast enough and the supersonic strikes.

"Lombre! Snap out of it!" Sato yells. Lombre struggles but is unable to move.

"Dan, hit it Sonic Boom!" Zappy Dan unleashes a wave of energy that strikes Lombre. It doesn't look like it did a whole lot of damage, but it was clearly felt.

"His strength doesn't matter anymore. Lombre is paralyzed, confused, against two Pokemon with type advantage over him. Didn't you say we, as trainers, should aim for our Pokemon to not struggle needlessly?'

Sato grins. "Indeed I did. There's nothing more to accomplish here. Lombre, return!" He turns to the referee. "I forfeit the match."

"Victory goes to the challenger!" The referee announces and waves a flag. Robin, Vance, and Junior come running over from the sidelines.

Sato comes over as well. "I present you with the the Growth badge." He hands you the small green proof of your victory.

You've won the Growth Badge!

You try to contain your excitement. You shake Master Sato's hand. "Thank you for the battle and this badge."

Robin and Vance pat you on the back. You just can't help it. You hug them both before posing dramatically. "I won the Growth badge!" It's more than a badge. It's proof. You're actually becoming a real trainer. No, you are a trainer now.

But trainers have responsibilities too. You absentmindedly reach for Devon's Pokeball. "Master Sato. About what you said before, about making sure our Pokemon aren't in a hopeless situation..."

"Ah." He leans on his cane. "Your Houndour fought with conviction. I could sense he wanted to do his best for you. Had it been a worse situation I might say you had a lesson to learn, but the fact that you asked that shows that you have nothing to be ashamed about." He pats Lombre's Pokeball. "Lombre and I have been working on his strength for some time. You're not the first trainer to underestimate him, and you won't be the last."

"But I let him get knocked out...I could have switched or-"

He hits the floor with his cane suddenly. "You do however need a lesson in respecting your Pokemon's wishes." He becomes serious now. "Your Houndour didn't try to retreat, he didn't hesitate to follow your commands. He wanted to do his best. Your wills were like one. In your journey, you and your Pokemon will face difficulties that you may not be able to overcome at first. It's only a failure if you fail to learn from it! Robbing your Pokemon of their chances to grow and prove themselves is just as bad as pushing them beyond their ability. As a trainer you must balance those concerns and others." He maintains eye contact.

You nod. It sounds hard, but you don't feel intimidated.

"It wasn't an optimal choice, but not all of your choices will work out. All of them have a lesson. Remember that and you'll never stop growing. Now. Please follow me." You and your friends follow him to a back room. There are rows of seeds containers and plant all over this deceptively large storage room. "There is a tradition among those who win the Growth Badge to plant a tree to commemorate their victory. I cannot force you, but I would ask that you please uphold it." He points to the various weaved baskets, cubbies, and containers throughout the room. "You may take any seed or plant in this room."

Vance peers over you. "Do people plant them nearby?"

Master Sato laughs. "My child. Every tree here was planted by someone who earned a badge in this gym. The very roots you're standing on are from the tree I planted when I was a young sapling."

How old is he? Maybe he just knows a secret to growing plants.

ou think on it. Apricot, oak, Berry, it's a tough choice. "I'm not sure. can I plant more than one?"

Sato leans back and laughs. "Yes. Yes of course! Please do. I wish everyone asked me that. Just don't tell everyone you beat me multiple times!" He jokes. "Space is limited here though, so please only plant on here and find a place for the the others."

"Alright! I'll plant an Oak tree here, and I'll keep my eye out for good places for the others." You look around the greenhouse until you find a nice spot. Master Sato directs you on how to plant it. One day this is going to be a strong, powerful tree. It won't bend or break. It will endure.

"I guess I have some catching up to do" Junior says. He reaches up to pat you on the back. "Don't think you'll be able to keep your lead on me for long."

Robin has a clear fiery aura. She seems really pumped from watching that fight.

"Robin, did you want to challenge the gym too?" She zones back into reality.

"Could you tell?" She tries to hide her expression.

"I can feel your desire to win pouring out of you." That sounded more sagely in your head. "My question is, why?"

Robin's usual self-conscious attitude has melted away. "I've seen a lot of gym battles. I've watched carefully, made notes, but I've never really cared who won before." Robin looks you in the eyes "I cared this time. I just feel so alive! I think... I think I want to try for the League championships." You see a bit of the same expression as when she started drinking with you before. Passion? Rebelliousness? Determination? Maybe all three.

Master Sato holds his turban as he laughs. "Oh my. It's like watching a flower bloom before my eyes. Well my child. You're certainly welcome to challenge this gym. These Pokemon need to rest though. I still have a few more friends here who I think would be willing though." He reaches into his headwear and takes out three more Pokeballs. "Like you, they are fighting a gym battle for the first time." You're wonder if he's doing that so she can battle him today, or if he's trying to use a team he knows she hasn't studied.

"I guess it's your turn to join me in the bleachers." Vance puts his hand on your shoulder. It's still hard not to feel tiny when he does that. Robin must feel like an ant. He turns his attention to Robin. "Good luck!"

You, Junior and Vance take your seats in the bleachers. You hadn't noticed from down in the battle area, but the seats are entirely covered in roots and various plant life. You wonder if there's even a structure under here.

You look to Vance. "Pay attention. You're on deck."

Junior sits next to you. He has a bag of popcorn.

The match begins. Sato sends out some sort of small, flying green Pokemon with a flower on it's back. It must be grass and flying. Robin takes out her Geodude. You notice that she lets him out under the one shaded area on the field.

This might be a good chance to impart another lesson to Vance. He must be wanting to pick your brain too, he keeps his eyes on the fight and asks, "What do you think so far?"

You tap Vance on the shoulder. "Did you notice how Master Sato is using new Pokemon against Robin?" You look to your right where Junior is. "Can I have some of that popcorn?"

You lean over and grab a handful before he says yes. He doesn't object.

The gears in Vance's head start turning. "He knows she's been here before to watch. She's probably familiar with his usual fighting style."

You toss Vance a piece of popcorn. "That's right. Sato's style is to try to win before the match starts." You nudge him again and point to Robin, "What is she thinking, it's slow and extremely weak to grass moves. Is she just getting him out of the way? No, too callous for her. It must be something else." You try to let him get the rest of the way.

Inspiration hits vance the same way he hits...well, most other things. "Rock vs flying?" You throw him some more popcorn.

"Exactly. She's still got to contend with the disadvantage to grass, but this way she at least partially makes up for it. It's probably the best match up she can hope for with Geodude."

He nods. You feed him another piece of popcorn.

Junior looks at both funny. "Are...are you training him?"

"She is! I'm a martial artist. Kat here is teaching me different training techniques." Vance misses the actual question by a mile. Phew.

"Uh huh." Junior says.

You grab another handful of popcorn and change the subject. "SO! Vance. Notice anything else about the fight? Anything you'd want me to shine. Some. Light. On?"

"Now that you mention it. Geodude is fighting in the shade."

"Why do you think that is?"

Before Vance can answer, Junior jumps up to cheer. Geodude and Sato's Pokemon are both knocked out. Sato sends out a thing Pokemon with a bell-shaped head. Robin throws out Eevee.

Sato seems to be trying to close the distance and use the thin Pokemon's agility. Robin has Eevee keep out of reach as Eevee uses Sand Attack.

Despite Robin's efforts, the plant Pokemon manages to get a hold of Eevee. You're pretty sure that move is called Wrap. Robin tries to use her Pokeball to recall it, but she can't. Reluctantly, Robin throws in the towel for Eevee. She sends out her Houndour.

"See how she stopped Eevee from fighting? That's exactly what Sato was talking about before."

"I noticed that too. She'll have to train Eevee on how to escape holds like that." You feed Vance some more popcorn. He lightly mimic's the movements of the match. "Eevee needs the mobility advantage to last." You shovel some more treats into him.

Robin's Houndour makes short work of the other Pokemon. You, Vance, and Junior all cheer. Popcorn spills onto the floor, and you catch as much as you can before it hits the ground. Can't be wasting food now.

"Go Robin! Go get 'em!" You cheer.

Sato sends out his last Pokemon. This one is a goat shaped creature. He immediately as it charge as close to Houndour as possible before he yells out "Bulldoze!" It knocks Houndour down, but it quickly recovers.

"Houndour! Pour everything into a Flamethrower! Don't let up!"

Sato's Pokemon rushes Houndour again, directly into the flames. It rears up to stomp the ground once more, but instead of another powerful Bulldoze, it just falls over.

"Skiddo is unable to battle. The challenger from Kindletown is the winner!"

The three of you run down to congratulate Robin. Hugs and high fives are exchanged all around.

"It seems I'm giving away a Growth badge for the second time today." Sato says as he hands her the badge. "Congratulations."

Robin just stares at it in wonder.


	16. Thread 16

Once again your party follows Sato into the back room, where he displays a wide variety of trees, bushes, and other plants to choose from.

Robin puts her finger on her mouth and thinks. "I want to plant an Apricot tree, if that's alright."

"Why of course. Now, you don't have to plant it inside this gym you know. I'd be happy to take care of it if you do, but anywhere you think is suitable is fine. Obviously I recommend against having it on the battlefield."

You, Vance, and Robin look around the gym. This place is pretty huge.

"Robin." You say. "I think a good place for your tree would be next to mine."

"Oh. Sure. But why?"

You're eyes fail to meet hers, but the words come out. "Oaks are strong. Your Apicot tree can intertwine with it. They can grow together."

Robin looks both touched and a little suspicious. She's not entirely sure if you're intent is sweet or another something else. You put your hand on her shoulder, and she nods in agreement. You, Robin, Vance, and even Junior follow Sato's instructions on how to plant it properly.

Robin gives Master Sato a respectful bow. "Thank you Master Sato." And the four of you start walking off.

"Not so fast Vance." You grab him by the arm. "I told you that you're up next, didn't I?"

He scratches the back of his head. "I don't know. I'm really not looking to become a trainer like you and Robin. Pokemon battles aren't exactly my strong suit."

It's your turn to act sagely. You do your best imitation of Master Sato when he was giving advice. "You don't have to win. You just have to learn from it."

Vance slaps his forehead. "Oh! It's a lesson." He turns to Master Sato. "Alright. Master Sato, I'd like to challenge you to a battle."

Master Sato leans on his cane. "Indeed. You'll have to forgive me. My Pokemon and I need some rest. I'm not as young as I once was. Would you be willing to come back later today? Of course If you you insist, I do have other Pokemon I can fetch from my PC in my office. Although I'm a bit hesitant to use them against a novice trainer." He yawns.

Vance looks to you. You answer for him. "We'll come back later today. You and your Pokemon deserve some rest. Thank you for everything, Master Sato. We'll see you later today."

Master Sato respectfully bows. Your party returns it. You grab Junior by the ear to get him to follow suite.

As your group exits the gym, Junior pipes up. "Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" You turn to see Junior tossing up one of his Pokeballs. "I went to the trouble of catching and training new Pokemon because of you, and you're not going to battle me? I'm not going to wait around all day y'know." He's just as mouthy as when you first met him. "I've been doing a lot of training since last time. I hope you're ready to get pounded!" He smirks. "How about a singles battle with three Pokemon each?"

Devon isn't able to fight, but Vlad is still in near perfect condition. Zappy Dan took a little damage, but nothing serious. Raistlin, Trunks, and Destiny are all fresh.

You have a pretty good sum of money right now. You could lose half of it and probably still be comfortable for the immediate future. Still, it'd be a shame to lose so much.

What are you saying? You beat this twerp last time with Zappy Dan against his Piplup without knowing all that much. How much better could he have gotten?

"Fine by me!" You say, returning an equally cocky smile. This mouthy twerp doesn't know who he's messing with. Didn't he see you just win a gym battle?

Junior pauses. "You've got money this time, right?"

"Yeah kid, I've got money." You leave it at that. Without setting a bet, you'll be fighting for the standard amount. Half of your money. "Vance, watch closely," you say over your shoulder. Vance takes a spot at the middle part of the sidelines to get a good view of the entire battle. Robin stands behind you. You flap your shirt a little to fan some air. It's hot out here.

"So are we going to do this or what?" Junior says. He's impatient, maybe you can use that. He reaches for a Pokeball.

You and Junior toss out your Pokeballs at the same time.

"Go Trunks!"

Junior yells excitedly at the same time, "Go Fletchling!"

You know that one! There was one at Professor Fir's place. You also know that a Flying type has the advantage over a Grass type. You'll have to play smart.

Trunks doesn't entirely know Leech Seed yet. He might be able to use it, but it's risky.

You wipe sweat from your brow. Better act quickly. "Trunks! Use Confuse Ray!"

At almost the same time, Junior gives his command. "Use Peck!"

The Fletchling comes swooping in and quickly lands next to Trunks. In a swift motion, it strikes Trunks with it's beak, then jumps back a short distance. That looks like it hurt Trunks a lot for such a weak move.

It's not enough to stop the Confuse Ray though. Trunks let's out a happy noise as the ray connects with Fletchling. You see the small bird Pokemon stagger in confusion.

It's too close to call if Trunks can take another hit like that.

Junior taunts you, "I told you I've been training hard! I hope you're ready to get creamed!" He doesn't seem concerned with the confusion.

"Trunks! Return!" You pull Trunks back. The temptation to use Leech Seed is strong, but you don't want to risk it. Now, who to send out? Dan would be a good match up. Destiny is strong too though, and doesn't need to worry about fire moves. The sun beating down on you is hot enough, you don't even want to think about fire moves right now.

You decide on Destiny. "Alright, Destiny! Come on out!"

Junior stomps his feet. "You big chicken! I was going to win that matchup!" He's awfully sure of himself. "Fletchling! Hit it with Peck!"

Fletchling hops a foot forward and pecks the ground.

Junior yells again. "What! Fletchling! What are you doing! Peck peck peck! Snap out of it!"

His Pokemon may be strong, but that must be all he concentrated on during his training.

Destiny bounces in place, waiting for an order.

Junior stomps and yells "Come on Fletchling!"

You've got this. The heat of the outdoors is only faintly in your mind as you get wrapped up in the excitement. "Destiny! Hit it with Water Gun!"

Destiny bounces down into a bracing position, and lets loose a strong jet of water, striking Fletchling and sending in tumbling back. It jumps back up and shakes off the water.

Junior is at a loss. "Peck! Come on!" Fletchling snaps out of it and flies at Destiny. It gives another switch peck. It's strong, but not nearly as bad as it was against Trunks. Destiny takes the light damage like a champ.

"Yeah! We're back in the game. Good job Fletchling!" Junior is really excitable.

Junior points at Destiny. "Peck peck peck! Overwhelm it with your strength!"

"Destiny! Smokescreen!"

As Fletchling closes the distance, Destiny fires a cloud of smoke. It's beak thrusts wildly into the smoke, but fails to connect.

Junior pouts. "Awww! Come on! Stop with the cheap tricks and fight me!"

Hmph. He hasn't learned much.

Somewhere in the background you can hear Robin cheering. You're concentrating so much that it barely registers.

"Don't let it pull off any more tricks! Quick Attack!" Fletchling takes off like a bullet, striking Destiny before your or her can react.

"Lucky shot kid!" you yell. Better keep him off his game. "Destiny! Follow up with Bubble!"

Destiny fires off a series of bubbles with surprising force. It catches Fletchling as it's flying overhead, and the small bird comes tumbling down and his the ground with a faint 'fwup'.

"Fletchling!" Junior yells. He retrieves it with his Pokeball. "No, that was a lucky shot! It won't happen again!" Junior pulls out another Pokeball. "Prinplup! I've been saving you for last, but I need you now. Let's show them what a real water type looks like!"

That's got to be the evolved form of Piplup. He really has been training.

Destiny looks like she can't take another good hit.

Better pull Destiny back for now. "Destiny! Come back!" A beam of light from your Pokeball connects to Destiny, and she vanishes. "Good job. Rest for now."

Junior stomps again. "What are you always doing that for!"

You ignore him. "Zappy Dan! Come on out!" Dan's floating, spherical form appears after you toss his Pokeball.

"No way! Not this one again. Prinplup! Get with Bubblebeam!" Prinplup fires a power burst of bubbles. It feels weird to think of bubbles as threatening, but they riddle Zappy Dan. He scraps along the ground before righting himself.

Zappy Dan's mellow attitude is gone. He looks determined. He also looks fairly damaged.

Last time you trained with him, you focused on Special Attack and Defense. He also made good progress towards Thunderbolt, but that's still iffy.

Junior has you cornered and he knows it. His cocky grin comes back. "Bubblebeam! One more time Prinplup!"

You need to act. That could take Zappy Dan out of the fight. It's risky, but what choice do you have? "Dan! Thunderbolt! Put everything you've got into it! I believe in you!"

The two beams collide, but only for a fraction of a second. Zappy Dan's Thunderbolt rips through the Bubblebeam and strikes Prinplup directly. You don't even see what happens next, there's a devastating explosion that forces you and everyone else to cover their eyes.

The smoke clears. You see the outline of Prinplup standing there.

Robin peers from behind you. "No way!"

The smoke clears entirely, and you see Prinplup's face. It's out. Prinplup topples over and hits the ground.

"What... What was that?" Junior is stunned. He retrieves Prinplup. He shakes his head in disbelief. "Alright! Don't think it's over yet! Go Venonat!" His voice cracks.

It's some sort of fuzzy purple bug thing. You're not overly concerned after what you just saw.

A small crowd gathers. Pokemon battles are probably common here. After all, that looks like what this area is for. Still, it looks like you've drawn some attention.

Zappy Dan looks indifferent even as small arcs of electricity fly off of him.

Junior's cockiness is gone."Quick! Use Supersonic Venonat!"

At almost the exact same time, you yell your instructions. "Zappy Dan! Use Supersonic!"

Each of your Pokemon move at about the same speed. They fire their attacks in unison. Both Supersonic waves meet in the middle and bounce off of each other, dissipating into the air.

"Awww! Come on!" Both of you yell in unison.

You didn't even know that could happen.

Junior grits his teeth. "Venonat! Supersonic again!" Well, at least he's consistent.

You have a different plan. "Dan! Thunderwave!"

Both Pokemon fire off their moves before they're hit. Venonat is struck with a wave of yellow electricity, while the sound waves from Venonat confuse him.

You see Vance watching intently. Robin is cheering you on from behind. You didn't notice before, but her Joltik is out with her too.

"Zappy Dan! Come back! Go Trunks!" You switch again. Junior looks like he's about to burst.

Before you finish that, Junior is already finishing giving his order. "Confusion! Hit it as hard as you can!" His Venonat motions to make the attack, but stops in it's tracks. It doesn't seem able to move for the moment.

"Come on with these cheap tricks! I wanted a battle!" He whines.

You're not sure if you're annoyed at his annoyance, feeling pity, or a little glad you're able to put him in his place.

"Venonat! Don't let to get to you! You can finish it with Confusion!"

Before Venonat is able to act, you point at it and give Trunks his orders. "Astonish! Go!"

Trunks rushes over and screams at Venonat before colliding. Venonat is unable to follow its orders.

Junior is fuming "Come on! This is stupid. How am I supposed to win this!" He pulls out a Pokeball. "Venonat, come back!"

His Pokemon vanishes in a quick flash of light. "This is stupid. You're stupid! I give up!" Junior starts storming off. He pushes his way passed the small crowd that gathered after Zappy Dan's powerful Thunderbolt.

ou yell after him. "That's no way to act after losing! All your little temper tantrum is doing is throwing all that hard work your Pokemon did in the trash. Have some respect for you and your Pokemon!"

He stops and turns to face you. He tries to hide the tears in his eyes. "It's not fair! My Pokemon got so strong. You just won because you can't battle me in a straight fight."

You look down at him "That IS battling."

He's still fuming. "Of course you'd say that! You can't win the fair way!"

This little twerp is really ticking you off. You close the gap and grab him by the shoulders. "Switching out and using status effects are legitimate strategies! Why do you think those moves exist? You think you're going to win all the time? You think your opponents aren't going to pull the same types of tricks? Do you really want to be a trainer, Junior? You can't win a battle if you don't stick through to the very end."

He looks at you and doesn't say anything for what feels like a long time. "Fine. But next time, I won't go easy on you!" He removes your hands from his shoulders and walks off. "I'll whip your butt next time! You'll see!"

You cup your hands around your mouth, "I'm looking forward to it! You better learn to counter this by the next time we battle!"

Before he walks out of sight, he throws a hand up in the air. The crowd begins to scatter. Vance nods in a sagely manner. Robin hands you your bag.

"Pokemon center?" She asks. You nod in confirmation.

You remember that you told Vance to carefully watch the fight. He looks like he's expecting you to follow up with a lesson.

"Remember, Vance: Your opponents are always going to give their all in a battle. It very seldom comes down to raw strength. Controlling the battle is the most important aspect of battling." Vance nods."And beyond that, your Pokemon are giving their all for you. You have to respect that, win or lose."

"That makes sense". He strokes his imaginary beard.

You look at him. His gaze comes up to reach yours. "What do you think was the best move of the battle?"

He doesn't hesitate. "That Thunderbolt was amazing! How did you do that?"

You have no idea where that power came from. "Oh, that's just from our practice." You decide to change the subject. "But besides that, how about you tell me what do you think was the biggest mistake of the battle?"

Vance ponders for a moment. "He should have kept his cool. There were a lot of mistakes, but the biggest one was getting angry."

"That's...actually pretty insightful Vance." You admit. You cough and go back to acting wise. "That's right. The status problems could have been avoided, or he could have used them just as effectively on me, but the biggest status problem is right here." You tap him on the head. You hope that sounded convincing.

Judging by the look on his face, it was. Even Robin looks impressed by you. You're not sure if you're just good at making this up on the spot, if they're both just way too easy to con, or if maybe there's something to what you're saying.

Before you can settle on which one it is, you arrive at the Pokemon center. You, Vance, and Robin hand over your Pokemon. The wait time is substantially less than before, just 45 minutes or so.

"Alright Vance. We're going to use this time wisely. You'll need our help to win this thing."

Robin agrees. "Yes. No offence Vance, but right now it's a bit of a long shot."

He looks at both of you. "OK. So, what's the plan?"

"I think you should catch a new Pokemon."

His face contorts to concern. "I don't know. I already have my hands full with Ursaring."

You playfully punch him in the arm and grab one of his hands. You hold it up so he can see it. "Have you see your hands Vance? They're huge. You can handle it."

He still looks doubtful. "I really don't plan on being a Pokemon trainer. I want to be a martial artist. Is this really going to help me learn?"

Robin backs you up. "Trust her. I've learned a lot from my Pokemon. Especially Eevee."

Vance gives in. "Alright. I'm convinced. So where are we going to look?"

Instinctively, you both turn to Robin to give you a rundown. She puts her finger on her mouth and thinks. "Well, we're still close to the edge of the city, we can go to the swamp. There are Bug, Grass, and Water around there. I've also heard that there are plenty of Poison and Normal types even within the city in certain areas. The city always has flying types too. Chloroville is a booming town, but it still has some abandoned buildings and other spots. I read that people reported seeing ghosts in one of the older buildings. They also sometimes have Dark or Steel types.


	17. Thread 17

Robin has given you and Vance a rough idea of what type of Pokemon can be found in your area. After thinking on it, you decide. "Let's look for Pokemon inside the city."

Robin looks relieved. "That's fine by me. The swamp is way too messy for my tastes."

Vance stands up. "Well alright then! Let's go!"

Your Pokemon are going to be a little longer yet before they're fully healed. You still have Raistlin on you though, since he didn't fight. Robin has her Dratini and Joltik, and Vance still has his Ursaring and Machop.

Vance purchases a few Pokeballs and you head out.

The streets are hot in the mid-day sun. The pavement in the distance is wavy. Robin explains to you that it's not that much hotter here, but it's just very humid because of the surrounding swampland. Vance, as usual, tries to pretend like he already knew that. Before you realize it, you and your friends are all in the more-or-less abandoned area of town. People have become a rare sight.

As you make your way deeper in, you notice Robin has shifted right behind Vance. It's not THAT creepy. It's still the middle of the day. Her eyes dart around each window and corner, alert for danger.

Well, maybe it is a bit creepy for her. You sometimes forget that not everyone is as used to abandoned buildings and unused urban areas.

You feel like a genius for the modifications you made to your clothes, the little extra cleavage and other changes you made let the occasional cool breeze in. You fan yourself with your hands.

Suddenly a garbage can in the alley to your right gets knocked over. You, Robin, and Vance all stop and brace yourselves for an encounter. Whatever did that ran behind a dumpster before you could get a good look at it.

The mysterious Pokemon comes running out from behind it's cover and tries to leap passed Vance. With surprising speed, he reaches out and grabs it in mid air. It's got four legs, a bushy tale, and purple fur. Vance brings it closer to his face to get a better look as it swipes at him in vain.

"Wait! Vance, don't!" Robin yells.

Robin must just be freaked out from the area. What's the worst that could happen? He fought Ursaring and won. Vance can handle it.

Vance apparently thinks the same thing. He turns back to say something to Robin. "I-OH! Oh! That is so bad!" Vance's face suddenly turns purple and he looks like he's about to throw up. He drops the Pokemon and it scurries deeper into the alley.

"That stench!" He cries. It's amazing what can bring a man his size to his knees. Well, almost. He's still standing, but his stomach must have done a flip.

You step a few feet back to where Robin is standing, and pull out your Pokedex. "Stank-atty-do-dah, the Gross Pokemon. It sprays a nasty fluid from its butt into the face of dopey trainers. It's stench spreads over a mile radius, driving Pokémon and smarter trainers away.

Robin leans over your shoulder. "It's Stunky, but that's mostly right. Is your Pokedex always so rude?"

Before you can give her an answer, you see Vance back away from a cloud of purple gas. "Kat, what should I do?" Somewhere beyond that cloud is Stunky.

"I'd use Machop, but you should decide for yourself what to use."

He thinks, then takes a Pokeball out. "Machop! Come on out!" Machop appears a few feet before the dissipating cloud.

"OK, what move should I use?" Vance really doesn't have any confidence with this sort of thing. He looks like he doesn't want to get near it.

"Do you even want that Pokemon?" You ask. You don't want to pressure the guy into something he doesn't want to do. At least, not something that you don't gain from.

"I don't know. It's a got a weird style to it, and that smell is something I don't think I'll ever get used to," You see Robin nod enthusiastically in agreement "But maybe that's just what I need." He plugs his nose when he says that last part.

Stunky hisses from the corner of the alley at Machop.

"So what should I do?" Vance asks again.

"I think you should fight it and catch it, but you need to decide that yourself. Try fighting it, and if you think it's a good fit, go for it!" Robin is clearly trying to signal to you to discourage him from catching it, but you ignore her.

Vance nods "Alright! That sounds good to me!" It sounds like the basics to you, but you're glad he's stopped asking you and doing this for himself.

You and Robin lift your shirts up over your noses. "Go Vance! Go Machop!" You cheer.

Robin reluctantly joins in after a minute even though you can tell she doesn't want to interact with Stunky at all.

You pay special attention to the moves Vance uses. You haven't learned much about fighting types yet.

He leads with Focus Energy. You look to Robin. "That helps Machop land critical hits more easily." She explains. She'd make a good teacher. She has a way of explaining things easily without making you feel dumb. The orphanage always made you feel worthless on the rare occasions you asked genuine questions instead of sarcastic ones.

Stunky shoots another cloud of gas at Machop. You can tell Machop has been poisoned, but instead of discouraging it, Machop seems even stronger. Vance directs it to use Karate chop, and Stunky takes massive damage, but it counters quickly with a Slash. Vance tries to play defensively and tells Machop to use Protect.

"Protect stops that Pokemon from getting hit. It's really useful." Robin tells you. Usually you have Vance learn from watching fights, but it seems like you're picking up a lot.

Stunky hits Machop anyway.

"Why didn't Protect work?" You keep your eyes on the fight as you ask Robin.

She speaks through her shirt that's still over her nose. "Stunky must have used Feint. Some moves like that can get around Protect."

Vance has had enough. "Machop! Let's finish this! Karate Chop, one more time!" Machop leaps towards the Stunky and delivers another devastating blow, knocking Stunky into a wall.

To everyone's surprise, Stunky gets up.

"I'm impressed. I'm going to catch it!" Vance throws a Pokeball over Machop's head and nails the Stunky, who vanishes in a flash of light. All of you watch closely as the Pokeball wiggles once. Twice. Three times.

Click.

"Yes!" Vance jumps in the air with Machop. They exchange a high five. Robin runs over to him. Her belly is exposed as her shirt still covers most of her face.

"Way to go Vance!" You run over to give him a big hug. Before you get your arms around him though, you catch yourself and avoid making direct contact. You jump up and give him a high five instead. "No offense," you tell him, "but take a bath first."

Vance laughs. Robin gives him a high five too. "Alright, let's head back to the Pokemon Center. You'll need those Pokemon to be fresh if you're going to take on the the gym."

The walk back is quick and uneventful. A small, merciful breeze has moved in. It's still hot, but at least it's tolerable. The Pokemon Center lineup is still fairly short, and Vance submits Machop and Stunky as you and Robin get your Pokemon back. There will be another short wait.

Vance turns back to you and Robin. "I'm going to take a shower. A long one." That's fine by you. Even after that, you'll probably have time to get some quick training in with one of your Pokemon

As you watch Vance disappear into the men's showers, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around and see a middle aged woman with a round face.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help notice your friends...odor. I run a specialized Pokemon accessory shop just around the corner. One of our more popular products is a spray that neutralizes that smell. Stunky are a bit of a problem in this city I'm afraid." She looks you up and down, but tries to be subtle, or at least polite about it. "It's quite expensive though." She quotes you a price. She wasn't kidding! You've won a lot of money recently, and that price is just over half of what you have.

You glance over to Robin, she's immersed in reading the latest news on the PC.

"That's too rich for my blood," you tell the woman. "Maybe we could talk about making a deal?"

"I'm afraid it's a set price. If you change your mind, please come visit us." The woman walks out the door.

You head over to Robin. "Hmm, what's up?" She looks up at you from her chair at the PC.

You tell her about the woman and the spray. She cringes when you mention the price. "Do you know of any cheaper ways to deal with that smell? I'm happy for Vance, but it's going to be hard to get used to it."

Robin looks determined. She begins typing. "I'll look into it." You try to follow along, but she's typing and moving through windows at a dizzying pace.

You might as well use this time productively.

You'll need to get to know Raistlin if you're going to be using him for battles. All you really know about him is that he always looks like he's asleep, and he can use Teleport. "Robin, I'm going to train Raistlin for a bit just outside." She taps away at the computer. "Want to join with Dratini?"

She keeps tapping away. "That's tempting, but I really want to find a way to deal with that stink first." She looks like she's on a mission. Vance is passionate about fights, and Robin is passionate about researching. You try to think about what you're as passionate about.

You can think about that later though, you've got some training to do! There's just one thing to tackle first. "I don't know what moves an Abra can learn," you tell Robin.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." She types away. "There should be a list on my Pokedex." She motions to her bag. "Abra's are sort of funny. They don't learn any moves except for Teleport naturally. They get over that when they evolve into Kadabra though."

You thank her and take her Pokedex from her bag. You find a somewhat secluded spot just behind the Pokemon center.

"Raistlin! Come on out!" He appears in a flash of light. He has the same expressionless face as he always does.

The Pokedex has a list of moves and other trivia. It seems so futuristic and helpful compared to yours.

Raistlin must be really smart, these moves all look great!

"Alright Raistlin, let's learn Psychic!" Raistlin doesn't react. You hope he's awake.

You put him on the ground. "Now, how are we going to do this?" You look around your surroundings. You find a small twig on the ground. "Alright Raistlin. I want you to try moving this twig with your mind."

Raistlin does nothing. This is going to be hard.

You put your hands on your temples, and focus on the twig. Maybe you can lead by example. "Move move move move move," you repeat as you focus on the twig. Nothing happens.

You concentrate harder. "MOVE! Move move move! Movemovemovemovemovemove." You focus as hard as you can. Sweat drips down your face and neck. Come on you stupid twig, move!

It moves! It moved! You look at Raistlin. He just sits there. "Did you do that Raistlin?" You feel silly for asking that. There's no wind, and you don't believe that you actually did it.

"Alright Raistlin, do it again! Hit that twig as hard as you can!"

Raistlin looks at the twig, but doesn't move. You're not sure if he's ignoring you, or trying to move it.

Instead of saying the words, you think on them. 'Move. Move. Move.' You repeat the mantra in your head over and over.

The twig suddenly goes flying.

"Yes! That's how it's done Raistlin!" You go and grab the twig and run back. "Now, use Psychic on it again."

Raistlin does nothing. If only he had expressions or something you could use to tell what's on his mind. You sit back down and concentrate on the twig again. This time you say and think 'move' at the same time.

Nothing. You sigh. "I guess we're not going to get anywhere else." You walk over the twig and go to pick up Raistlin. "There's just so much confusion when trying to deal with you Raistlin." You're suddenly pushed back. It's not much, but you have to catch yourself to avoid falling. The twig sails off into the distance and the world spins. You have to sink to your knees for a second to keep yourself from stumbling around.

Your sense come back to normal. You look at Raistlin. He cocks his head. "Good Raistlin!" You pat him on the head. You pull up Robin's Pokedex and try to see if that was indeed Psychic. You think so, but it could have been a few other moves too. Psychic is supposed to be really powerful.

Wait, is that the time on this thing? That took longer than you thought. "Raistlin, return!" You run back to the Pokemon Center and find Robin and Vance chatting on the couch.

"Welcome back! How did it go?" Robin asks.

"Raistlin learned...something." you say. "Did you find anything out about the smell?"

Robin looks at you, then Vance. "From what I read, that stuff really works, but it's just as pricey everywhere else. Luckily Stunky's have pretty good control over their smell. As long as he's well trained, it shouldn't be a problem."

You think about Vance and Ursaring.

Vance digs into his pockets. "Sorry guys, I can't afford that." You'd be surprised if he could. That's probably for the best, since he's still got to cover your meals anyway.

"Then you'll just have to train Stunky extra hard!" You punch him in the arm. "While you're at it, Ursaring too." Vance nods. "I think you should challenge the Gym first. Maybe having a badge will impress Stunky and make training easier."

Vance springs up. "Then what are we waiting for! Let's go!"

The three of you make your way over to the Chloroville gym once again. Robin lends Vance her Pokedex and he studies the moves that Stunky's should know. You hope he'll be fine. At least there's a few moves he saw Stunky use when he caught it.

Vance stops before the door and turns to you. "Do you think I can win?"

"Only if you're smart. Remember what you saw watching me and Robin. You also have to realize that it depends on your Pokemon too. You have to trust them, and you have to help them trust you." Vance nervously strokes his beard as he listens. You slap him on the shoulder. "You'll never know unless you try. Trust in me, and trust in your team. Worse comes to worst, I think you could knock out Mr. Sato in one punch." You grin.

Vance smiles back. "Thanks." He slaps you on the shoulder, it almost knocks you over.

The three of you enter the gym and find Master Sato meditating under a tree. "Ah, I've been waiting for you. Vance, are you ready to challenge my gym?"

Vance bows respectfully. "Yes, Master Sato."

"Then let us begin." Sato turns to you and Robin. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you let the challenger face me alone. You're welcome to watch from the observation area." He points to the bleachers that you watched Robin's fight from. You and Robin make your way over there after wishing Vance good luck.

The referee announces the rules. "This will be a one on one battle. Each side will use three Pokemon total. Only the challenger may switch Pokemon."

Sato throws out a Pokeball. His first Pokemon is Pansage. "Don't think you'll have any advantages from watching my other battles today, young oak. Stay alert."

That's no bluff. He avoided direct fighting with you for the most part and tried to bait you. With Robin, he was more aggressive and tried to keep on her the defensive. Do all gym leaders read their opponents like that? How will he fight against Vance?

Robin keeps her eyes on the field. "Be honest, do you think he's going to win?"

"I don't know. It'll be rough. His Pokemon are strong, but Ursaring doesn't listen well and he just caught Stunky. The important thing is that he learns from it." Robin nods. "What do you think?"

She thinks. "I like Vance, but he'll have to be really lucky to pull it off. Sato is going to toy with him."

You watch the battle. Vance actually looks really cool. With a swift motion, he throws back the cape you bought him and reaches for a Pokeball. "Alright, Machop! You're up!" Vance releases Machop onto the field. Vance's eyes are glued on Sato's Pokemon though. He's trying to read it's movements.

Robin speaks. "I looked up Houndours registration. My dad made the trainer registration change and put Houndour under my name. I wasn't sure how he was going to handle that after I took the Pokeball. I wasn't really thinking about much when I did that." Robin looks at her feet. "I don't have much money left. He's not putting anything into my account any more." She fiddles with her hands. "I didn't really expect him to. It just feels so...official."

You can see and hear the fierce battle below, but up here, it's quiet.

You hug her. You have no idea what you can say to her. You know her relationship with her dad is messed up, but you don't really know how they're supposed to be. You've been alone almost you're entire life. This is the first time that you're really understanding what it feels like to depend on someone else. You can't imagine what a lifetime of being close to someone feels like.

After what feels like a soft, warm eternity, she breaks the hug.

"Thanks." Robin holds back a tear. "You're a really good friend." Robin turns to watch the battle, but she stays leaning on you, her hand resting around your waist.

You're not sure how it happened, but Machop was knocked out. Pansage leaps from vine to vine, never staying in once place. Vance releases Stunky. On Vance's command, Stunky releases a poison cloud into the vines. Pansage has nowhere to run, and quickly drops.

You cheer loudly for Vance. "Go Vance! Good work!"

He gives you and Robin a thumbs up and a wink. His cape billows. Robin hollers her support.

Snover freezes Stunky with an ice move, Powder Snow. Snover finishes Stunky off, but Snover falls from the poisin it took while you were talking to Robin.

It's just one on one now. Sato releases Lombre.

Vance thinks for a moment. He only has one other Pokemon, but he delays. "Alright! Ursaring, give it all you've got!"

The huge Pokemon's form takes shape on the field. It gives out a mighty roar to nobody in particular before turning to Vance.

"That's your opponent Ursaring!" Vance points to Master Sato's Pokemon "Use Slash!"

Ursaring inspects it's claws casually.

Sato smirks. "You're not trying that old trick, are you? Pretending to have a disobedient Pokemon to get me to put my guard down! Ha, I invented that one."

That's the one thing about his fighting style you've pegged down. Every action has a hidden secondary objective. With you, he seemed to want to instruct you more than to beat you. With Robin, he was aggressive to force her to act quickly and decisively. With Vance, you're not sure if he believes what he just said, or if there's an ulterior motive.

Lombre strikes Ursaring with a Fake out. Ursaring is momentarily too stunned to move. After a few seconds, she comes back to her senses and roars out in frustration before turning around to charge Lombre.

"Ursaring, wait until I give you a command!" Vance yells.

Ursaring ignores him. Sato acts quickly. "Grass Knot! Now!"

Lombre shoots out a grassy vine in Ursarings path. Ursaring comes tumbling down ungracefully. She quickly rises to her feet again and charges once more.

"Ursaring!" Vance yells. "Listen to me! That isn't going to work! You need to listen to my instructions!"

Sato leans on his cane. "This isn't an act, is it?"

Vance nods. "No."

"Mister Referee. Please stop the match."

The referee pauses, then nods. "This match is over! The result is no winner!"

Robin flinches. "My dad would do that when he wanted to discourage a trainer from battling again. Gym leaders can call off a match at any time. Technically Vance can challenge the ruling with the Pokemon League, but they give gym leaders a lot of leeway in these situations."

You run down to Vance. You hear Robin follow behind you. You don't say anything as you approach. You wait to see how Vance is going to react.

Vance signs. "Ursaring, return."

For a long moment, he doesn't say or do anything.

"Master Sato." Vance finally speaks. He bows respectfully. "Thank you for battling me."

Sato bows. "It was my honor."

To your surprise, Robin asks the question. "Master Sato, why did you call off the match?"

Sato retrieves Lombre and walks over to your group. "It was an impressive display, but I'm afraid being a Pokemon trainer is about more than just winning battles. Vance, your Ursaring sees more than you realize."

Vance strokes his imaginary beard. "What do you mean by that?"

Sato stops Vance's stroking with his cane. "Your act won't fool your Pokemon. Pretending to be sure of yourself and being sure of yourself are two separate things. Ursaring will only believe in you when you believe in yourself." Master Sato walks away.

Vance is taken aback. He moves to stroke his imaginary beard once again, but stops himself when he realizes what he's doing. He tries to post with his cape and a cool smile, but it looks awkward. He's trying to put up a strong front. The harder he tries, the more exposed he looks. He's obviously very uncomfortable.

Vance scratches the behind his head. You move in closer to him.

"You're a tall and attractive guy who wrestles bears, what could you have to feel insecure about?" You move all over your fingers wildly. "Could it be that you're... Ticklish?" You reach wide and tickle his sides.

Vance bursts into laughter. Looks like you found the spot. He tries to spin away, but you glue yourself to one of his sides and attack without mercy. "Robin! Back me up! Get his other side!"

Robin hesitates before caving into your instructions. She reaches for his other side. Vance can't defend against the two of you and shouts out his laughter even louder.

"Come-Come on!" He manages to get a few words out between breaths. "Stop! No! Ah!" He's struggling to keep his balance.

"You wrestled an Ursaring into submission and dragged it back to the Pokemon center. You had those girls hanging off you without even trying at the beach, and you even got a gym leader down to his last Pokemon."

The three of you collapse onto the grass, but you and Robin don't let up. "No! St-hap! Ah hahaha!"

You stop. Robin follows your lead. "You've got nothing to feel bad about Vance. I believe in you." You rest your chin on his chest and look him in the eyes.

Robin does the same from her side. "I do too." She blushes profusely, but she got the words out.

Before it gets too awkward again, you continue your attack. It goes on for awhile before you're all too tired to continue. Finally, the three of you get up and begin to leave.

Vance scratches the behind his head. You move in closer to him.

"You're a tall and attractive guy who wrestles bears, what could you have to feel insecure about?" You move all over your fingers wildly. "Could it be that you're... Ticklish?" You reach wide and tickle his sides.

Vance bursts into laughter. Looks like you found the spot. He tries to spin away, but you glue yourself to one of his sides and attack without mercy. "Robin! Back me up! Get his other side!"

Robin hesitates before caving into your instructions. She reaches for his other side. Vance can't defend against the two of you and shouts out his laughter even louder.

"Come-Come on!" He manages to get a few words out between breaths. "Stop! No! Ah!" He's struggling to keep his balance.

"You wrestled an Ursaring into submission and dragged it back to the Pokemon center. You had those girls hanging off you without even trying at the beach, and you even got a gym leader down to his last Pokemon."

The three of you collapse onto the grass, but you and Robin don't let up. "No! St-hap! Ah hahaha!"

You stop. Robin follows your lead. "You've got nothing to feel bad about Vance. I believe in you." You rest your chin on his chest and look him in the eyes.

Robin does the same from her side. "I do too." She blushes profusely, but she got the words out.

Before it gets too awkward again, you continue your attack. It goes on for awhile before you're all too tired to continue. Finally, the three of you get up and begin to leave.

You ask Robin about the gym in Ampberg.

"The gym leader there uses electric type Pokemon. He's is all about speed. When he gets really riled up, he and his Pokemon can sometimes act twice as fast as a normal trainer."

"That sounds tough. What about the Braundalin gym?" You point at the city to the north.

"There are two gym leaders there, but only one gym. The leaders use Dark and Fighting Pokemon in a double battle format."

"Where do you guys want to go first?"

Vance answers first "Well, I want to visit home eventually, but if we don't go there first, I won't mind. There's no big rush."

You turn to Robin "How about you?"

"Aquapolis is really nice to visit. I've been there a lot and never had a bad time. If we end up not going there though, I'm fine with that."

Neither of your companions has a very strong opinion.


	18. Thread 18 Parts 1 and 2

"Let's take the ferry over to Aquapolis. Once we're done there, we can head over to Braundalin."

"Sounds good to me," Vance says.

Robin puts away the map. "Great! If we leave soon, we can camp just by the ferry docks and leave in the morning." You shift uncomfortably. "It's a different dock than from last time. This is a cruise for tourists and travellers." Robin assures you.

Vance hitches his bag. "I still have to get some food for traveling."

Robin nods. "I want to do some quick shopping for supplies and make sure I'm not forgetting anything."

"Alright," you say. "Let's all get ready and meet back here in a bit." Vance and Robin gather their things.

You consider your options. You have a lot of money, all of your Pokemon are healthy, and you have some to kill before everyone is ready to leave.

You catch yourself in the mirror and see that your clothes are a little ratty. You've only had them for a short while, but you've been rough on them. If they weren't as rugged as they are, you'd probably be indecent by now.

You do a mental checklist of your inventory. All-in-all it's not bad.

You can't be too prepared though.

It's a tough call between shopping for clothes or training. After thinking hard on it though, you decide to get clothes for now. If you're really quick, you can probably still get in some quick training.

No time to waste then! You bolt out the door of the Pokemon center. If you weren't so used to running through the streets you probably would have collided with someone on the way out.

You run into a store that looks like it will have what you need. There it is! A nice practical traveling outfit. It's got clip on buttons so you can easily add or remove layers. You'll probably be visiting different climates, so that's perfect.

You try it on quickly and it fits like a glove. Or body glove. It fits well is your point, you're a Pokemon trainer, not a poet. You pay for it and run out the door.

On you're way back you spot something in a window of a different store. Oh. Oh yes. You can't wear that for traveling, but you could definitely see yourself in it. You bite your lip. Maybe by candlelight or... Nevermind! You can think about when to wear it later. You run in and pick up that sexy little number. There's a great little bikini here too. You grab that, pay the clerk, and explode out the door. You make a mental note to thanks Junior, the total came to about the same amount you won off of him.

You make it back outside the Pokemon center. Looking at the time, you weren't gone long at all. You can get some quick training in with one of your Pokemon before Vance or Robin meet you back here.

You just have to decide who needs a quick training session now.

"Trunks! Come on out!" You throw his Pokeball. The little Phantump looks happy to see you.

"We're going to be doing a little bit of quick training. Are you ready?"

Trunks floats up and down in agreement. He's eager, that's good.

You point to a nearby rock. "Alright Trunks! Let's work on that Leech Seed!"

He leans forward and concentrates hard.

"Come on Trunks! You can do it!" You cheer him on.

He fires off a few seeds. They harmlessly bounce off of the rock.

"Nice try Trunks. You're getting there. Just think about stealing that energy. It's not just about shooting seeds, it's about planting them."

Trunks tries again. This time a tiny green strand expands from where one of the seeds landed.

"That's it! Just do more of that!"

Trunks keeps doing as you instructed. Each time he gets a little better. After a few more tries, it looks like he has it down.

"Great job Trunks! You did it!" You pet him. He snuggles close to you. He's just so adorable! When you first saw him, he nearly gave you a heart attack. Now he's the one of the cutest things you've ever seen. He picked that up in a short amount of time. He must be really good at Grass moves.

Just as you're petting Trunks, you see Vance and Robin call out to you. You wave back. Vance's bag looks like it's about to burst. He must have gone all out.

"Nice outfit!" Robin says. "It suits you." You smirk. Wait until she sees what else you got.

Vance hitches up his bag. "So, are we all ready to head out? The ferries leave in the morning, so we'll want to get some good distance before sundown."

"I'm good. Let's roll!" With that, the three of you head out of town. There's a small road on the way to the docks from here. As soon as you're a little way out of town, the swamp surrounds the road once more. It looks like the swamp itself is waiting for a time when the roads are entirely unwatched to grow over them. The shade from the overhanging trees is nice though. You see the occasional person, but it's a little sparse.

As you're lost in thought, you realize Vance was telling another joke. You turn in just in time to catch the end of it. "Then I said, 'Will-O-Wisp, more like Will-O-Wasp!" Robin laughs and Vance nudges you in the ribs again. He's really got to work on his control, you take a minute to get the wind back in your sails. At least you didn't have to pretend to laugh.

You're pretty far from the city. The sun won't be up for much longer.

You cover as much distance as possible. In the cool shade of the trees, you somehow feel lighter, and more full of energy. Vance and Robin follow your pace until the sun starts hiding behind the trees.

Robin pulls out her map. "If we're where I think we are, we'll have plenty of time to get to the docks in time tomorrow." That's good news.

The ground is getting a lot dryer here, so finding a camping spot isn't as hard as you thought it would be. you get a fire going while Robin and Vance set up their tents.

Vance digs into his massive bag and gets out his spices and cooking utensils. "Hope you two are hungry." He starts preparing dinner.

Your stomach doesn't just growl, it practically roars! You're starving. You can hear Robin's tiny stomach doing the same.

"So, gourmet chef, martial artist, nursing people back to health, is there anything our dear Vance can't do?" You see him scratch behind his head and shrug. "You're too modest Vance. I mean, back at your shack, that thing you did with Vlad. It was pretty impressive. Were you studying to be a doctor or something?"

Vance stirs up some food. "Well, I considered it. I never felt like it was for me though."

You leave it at that for now, and take out Raistlin, your Abra. He just sits there staring at you (you think) as the firelight bounces off of him.

"Robin, you must have traveled a lot, to have seen so many gyms."

Robin looks up from her Pokedex. "Hmm? Oh yeah. My dad called it 'scoping out the competition.' He's always been a bit obsessed about trying to be the toughest gym leader. Why do you ask?"

You keep staring at your Pokemon. "What do think of Raistlin? I can never tell if he's listening to me, or if he's even awake."

Robin goes back to her Pokedex, but you can see her sifting through different entries. Her other finger rests on her mouth. "Hmm, well I'm not really an expert on psychic types, but I know a little. An Abra sleep a lot. Well, they 'sleep' a lot. It uses it's psychic powers to effectively act like it's awake. Oddly enough, moves like Sleep Powder make them sleep for real. It's one of those oddities."

"Well, that's good, I've just been worried I was doing something wrong with Raistlin."

Robin's eyes come up from her Pokedex to meet yours. "Don't worry. Just keep interacting with him and you'll be fine." She smiles.

You focus back on Riastlin. "So... have any hobbies?"

Raistlin doesn't react. You pick him up and face the fire. The two of you watch Vance juggling spices and stirring up dinner. You're glad he's such a willing cook, but isn't he using way too much salt?

As you're thinking that, you see the salt shaker fly from Vance's hands. "Woops," Vance says as he picks it up. "I guess I should slow down, I don't want to drop dinner too."

You look at Raistlin. "Did you do that?"

Raistlin doesn't react. Still, you feel closer with him.

"Dinners' ready!" Vance announces. you, Robin, and Vance chow down and watch the stars slowly appear. You quickly wash the dishes and everyone begins getting ready for bed.

Robin looks over your bag. "So I guess you didn't buy a tent in Chloroville." Her voice isn't sarcastic, but there's a slight accusation there. You shrug and she playfully rolls her eyes. "You're so forgetful."

Vance yawns and excuses himself into his tent.

"You don't mind, do you?" You ask Robin.

She shrugs. "It's fine. Really, it's practical. I mean, it's big enough, and it's better that we travel light." She keeps listing off reasons. Yeesh, she doesn't have to sell you on the idea.

As Robin starts unzipping the entrance to her tent, you crawl in before her. "Hold on. I want to get changed first!"

Robin seems surprised at your sudden modesty. "Oh, OK. Tell me when you're ready."

It's a relief to be stop having to fight your wicked grin as you close the entrance behind you. You quickly slip on the sexy little number you picked up before leaving. You spent a lot longer checking yourself out in your small pocket mirror to make sure everything fits and that your hair is just perfect. Finally, you're satisfied. You cover yourself in a blanket, but stay sitting upright. "I'm ready!~"

Robin crawls into the tent. She averts her gaze from yours. You must be showing a hint of intent because she's already turning a little red. "You're acting different. Are you alright?"

You move in close and drop the blanket. "I don't know, why-"

Robin turns redder than you've ever seen her and flails wildly backwards. As she stumbles back she pulls the tent with her. Both of you are lost in a maze of tent, blanket, and flailing arms.

Somewhere you can hear Vance rushing out. "Are you alright! What happened!" His voice is muffled under the sound of the tent and blankets, and Robin's flailing and unintelligible gibbering. The tent goes slack. Robin must have made it out.

"Robin! What's wrong! Where's Kat?" You hear Vance asking.

Robin stutters. You're still not sure if you should feel rejected or incredibly flattered.

You say nothing.

"I-I-I-I-" She takes a breath. "I-I-I-I saw."

"What?" Vance pushes her. "What did you see?"

You peak your face out. She looks at you. "I-I...was just surprised. I thought I saw a...a Bug Pokemon"

Vance looks back at your face peaking out. He's visibly relieved to see you. He turns back to Robin. "Did it sting you? Your face is all red and I'm worried about your breathing."

"NO! No! No. I'm fine! Totally fine!" She practically yells it.

Vance looks skeptical. "You're sure?" He asks, looking in her eyes, checking her pupils. "Kat, what about you?"

"Fantastic." you say flatly. You blow your hair out of your face.

Vance looks between both of you. "...OK. Well, want some help setting up the tent?"

You crawl out, making sure to stay covered in the blanket. "I'll take care of it. Go back to bed."

Vance shrugs. "Alright then. Sleep tight I guess." You think you hear him mutter something about girls as he crawls back into his tent.

Robin helps you as you begin reassembling the tent. She doesn't say anything. She's still very, very red.

You attach two rods together. Robin is doing the same. You feel like an idiot. You struggle to use both of your hands and keep your sleeping bag up.

You both turn to each other in unison. "I'm sorry."

She blushes and turns away. You step in front of her vision.

"I'm sorry," you repeat. "That was too much."

"It's not the worst you've done." she says. There's a hint of levity in her tone. "I just didn't expect it. I'm sorry I freaked it."

You both keep assembling the tent. "I guess that means it worked." She doesn't say anything. As you both pull the structure up, your hands meet. She looks you in the eyes. You struggle to do the same.

You can't handle it! "So, a bug Pokemon huh?" You quickly wrap our sleeping bag up and crawl into the tent. She follows. "Was it a cute one at least?" You crawl like a Caterpie on the tent floor.

Robin laughs. "Stop it!" She gets into her sleeping bag. You crawl over her, trying to imitate Caterpie noises. She gently pushes at you. "No!" She laughs some more.

Eventually you both settle down. Slowly, quietly, you both fall asleep. Two Caterpies in a pod.

You wake up smelling breakfast. As you rise, you're quickly aware that you're alone in the tent. You make sure to put your traveling clothes on before exiting the tent.

"Smells great!" You announce. Just as you thought, pancakes. Robin hands you a plate.

"I got a great deal on honey in town." Vance says. He's proud of himself. You dig in and make a mental note to ask Vance where he got that deal later. You're too busy stuffing your face to as right now.

Robin looks at her Pokedex. "We still have a some time before we have to catch the ferry."

"Good!" Vance says. "I got something else in town too. A treat for the Pokemon." He digs into his massive backpack and pulls out a bag."Pokemon food! Good stuff too!" He starts pouring out different portions. "Don't be shy, it's for everyone's Pokemon." He urges you and Robin on.

You both let out all of your Pokemon, and they dig in with uniform gusto. Somewhere in the back of your mind you try to figure out why Trunks, a Ghost Pokemon eats anything.

If you have some time, you might as well get some training done.

You're feeling as adventurous today as you were last night. You can't help but grin at Robin as you think that. She smiles, but then blushes and averts her eyes when she sees your wicked smile.

"Raistlin, Devon, Trunks! Come on out!" You barely manage to release all three without dropping anything. Raistlin doesn't move much, so you won't have to worry about him wandering off or anything like that. You figure you can manage this as long as it doesn't get too crazy.

You look to Devon. You figure you'll give him some attention first.

You put your Abra down. "Raistlin, I want you to sit here and pay attention." He doesn't react.

"Alright, lets' see if we can learn a little bit more about your breeding." You pet Devon. "Robin, what do you think?"

She looks at her Pokedex. "I'm not sure. There are a few useful ones here. Just because a Pokemon is bred for a certain move doesn't mean it can't learn other moves on this list either. It just makes it easier."

Well that makes it tricky. You decide to list them off and see if Devon knows what to do. You name on, and watch. Devon just cocks his head. You go down the list. "Nasty Plot, Feint, Rage." Still nothing.

"Thunder Fang would be a great counter to the Aquapolis gym" Robon says. Devon seems to perk up a bit.

"Devon!" You say, "Thunder Fang! Let's go!" He springs into action, and makes a biting motion, but there's no electricity or anything visibly special looking about it.

"Devon," You hear Robin say. "Do you know Counter?" He perks up again.

You look at him. Might as well try it out. "Devon! Use Counter!" Devon jumps on all fours, then does nothing. You turn to Robin. "That can't be it. He didn't do anything."

Robin picks takes out her Geodude. "Get Devon to do it again."

"Devon! Counter!" You're not sure where this is going, but you follow her lead.

"Geodude! Tackle! Gently!" You're glad it'll be gentle, but you're also more confused.

Geodude gives Devon a half-hearted shove. Devon immediately hits Geodude back twice as hard, which isn't very hard at all.

"That's Counter." Robin says.

You can't help feel disappointment. "That wasn't very strong."

Robin laughs. "It can be. The user attacks back at twice the strength, but only if it's a physical attack."

Well, that could be useful. You still feel like Thunder Fang would be better with the upcoming gym. You don't say it out loud though, you don't want to hurt Devon's feelings. You brush his fur. Robin apparently reads your face. "He can learn the other moves on this list, but some might be harder than others."

You'll keep that in mind. You give Devon another quick brushing and a congratulations then put your attention on Trunks, who's been patiently waiting.

"Alright Trunks, let's learn Horn Leech."

Trunks looks up at you. You hope he's up for such an advanced move. You look at a nearby rock. That worked well last time.

"Trunks! I want you to try combining what you know from Tackle and Leech Seed, and using it on that rock!"

Trunks tackles the rock, then uses Leech Seed.

"Almost. What I mean is that you should do the same energy draining...thing, but use your horns instead. Make physical contact, and drain it of as much energy as you can."

Trunks tries it a few more times. His tackle slowly but surely develops a green tinge to it. It doesn't look entirely like the picture you see in Robin's Pokedex, but it's getting there.

After a good long while, you think that Trunks is getting close. He's a smart one.

"I hate to interrupt, but we have to get moving if we want to catch that ferry." Vance hitches up his backpack. You look around and realize Robin and Vance are all packed. "Sorry Trunks. We'll have to pick it up later. Good job though, that's a very advanced move and you look like you're getting really close." Trunks snuggles up affectionately. You return him and grab Raistlin, who's been watching the entire time. You hope he picked something up.

Vance runs ahead and you and Robin are right behind him. You see your destination as you get over a small hill. There's a small hamlet around the docks. It's not much, not even a Pokemon center, but they have a small hotel with a restaurant, a gas station, and a few other basic amenities. There are people in tourist clothes lining up and ex. Just nearby, you spot a booth that's selling tickets.

"I'm pretty short on money." Vance says. "Do you two mind if we all get one cabin together? I can get my own room if you want."

Robin nods. "I'm a little short too. I can still afford it either way, but I'm fine with that."

You check your trainer ID. "We already shared the hotel room, and bed. I think we're passed having separate rooms." Vance looks relieved. He's been covering food, and even Pokemon food, so it's no wonder he's low on funds. Robin was cut off from her dad, so she'll need to learn to get by on less too. You, on the other hand, have no problem getting by on nothing. You still have a pretty good amount of money too.

You get to the desk and make arrangements for the three of you to get one cabin. There's a long haired teenager working the desk. As stamps the tickets, he looks the three of you over and settles on Vance. "Dude. Niiiiice." You can tell by the color of Robin's face that she didn't catch that. You move everyone along before she does. Vance just scratches the back of his neck and laughs.

It takes awhile before the Ferry is ready to leave. The three of you settle in and unpack. It's...cozy. Hopefully the three of you will manage.

"So," Vance says, "What do you guys want to do now?"

You think for a minute. "The deck looked pretty big."

"It's pretty common to have battles on the big flat decks of ships like this. Sometimes they discourage it, but some boat encourage it too."

Vance is reading a pamphlet on the cruise. "Looks like they like they encourage it here. It says here they have some sort of fold-out platform.

"Great!" You say. "We'll go there right after we win some money at the casino."

Vance and Robin roll their eyes.

"I won big last time, right?" They both concede. "Then relax. You two might consider it gambling, but I consider it free money. If you're nice, maybe I'll even teach you two how it's done." Truthfully you just got really lucky before, but they don't need to know that.

The three of you walk below to the casino. It looks like you weren't the only ones to think of this. The ship hasn't even left port yet and there's already a few people here playing machines, blackjack, poker, throwing dice, or just having a drink. It's still pretty early in the morning, but who are you to judge?

You see that there are no special prizes on this boat. It's just gambling for good old money.

You head over to the Poker table and pull up a chair. Texas hold-em, your favorite. You throw in a few chips and play a few hands. Over the course of a short while, you feel you've gotten a good idea of the players around you.

There's a rich young woman on your left. Just a quick look at her shows that she's never lifted anything heavier than her own jewelry in her life. She looks sharp.

Across the table is an older man with a white mustache. His face is tough, and his eyes are steady.

To your right is a man in a slightly oversized suit. He's had a few, but he doesn't look like too big of a sucker.

After a few hands you find yourself roughly where you started. You've gained a small amount, but more importantly you've gotten a feel for players around you.

You stay at the table. With a few clever bets and some conservative playing, you manage to make a little more money when one of the other players is knocked out in a split pot. The drunk in the business suit walks away from the table.

"Now look here ladies," the man with the mustache says, "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I took all of your money without at least warning you first. I'd hate to see tears on those pretty faces."

Typical bluff. The rich girl might fall for that sort of flattery, but you know better. Or maybe he just wants you to think it's a bluff. Maybe he wants you to think that he wants you to think it's a bluff. Maybe you're just overthinking it.

The next round of cards come up. You do your best to keep a straight face when your cards come up. Keep it cool, it might not even matter if it's a bad flop.

It is not a bad flop.

"Well that's awfully nice of you sir." You do your best to mimic the mannerisms of a vapid rich girl. "But it's just a game. Win or lose, or doesn't matter." That's probably the biggest lie you've ever told in your life. You go all in.

The girl on your left laughs. "Well put. The ship will be departing soon anyway. I grow tired of dancing around. Shall we settle this?"

The man across from you gives her, and then you, a good long stare. You force yourself to smile and meet his gaze instead of looking at the pot. Pretend it's no big deal. Just. Stay. Calm.

"Very well." He pushes his pile of chips in. "All in." His tries to hide his grin.

All of you flip your cards over. Damn it! He has a better hand. The next card doesn't change the situation one way or the other. He starts leaning over to collect the pot.

Then comes the river. The hand turns in your favor. You won.

You won!

"You won!" Robin says, patting you on the back. You won the most money you've ever seen in your life. You try to do the mental math and convert the chips into real cash, but you're sure that can't be right.

"Holy... Kat, do you know how much this is?" Vance asks.

You look around for security. Nobody is coming yet to 'suggest' you stop. If you move quickly, you can keep this streak going.

"Robin, you said something about investing before, right?" Your eyes stay locked on the pile of chips.

"Uhhh, yeah. Did you want me to help you out with that?" Robin asks.

"Yes please." You nod.

Robin is visibly nervous "OK, I mean, I'll do some research when we get to land. I know I said that's what I'd do if I had a lot of money, but I never thought I'd see that much. I think a savings account or something might be a good idea for now though." You don't really understand that stuff, you just smile, nod, and collect your winnings. You quickly cash out before your some sort of calamity happens. Whatever you decide, it'll have to wait until you reach land.

"Wow," Vance says. "Wow."

"Yup." That's all you can say, you're almost scared to look at your trainer ID to see the number on it. You look anyway. It's still there. You can't believe you were thinking about gambling this a second ago. You can buy a lot with this. You could fund the rest of your journey and pay Robin and Vance's way too in decent comfort as long as you don't do something stupid.

You didn't even realize you were walking to the deck until you arrive. You also don't even remember when the ship left port. You look around at the wide lake. It really is something. You can see what you're pretty sure are Magikarp flopping in the distance.

You absentmindedly touch your trainer ID. Even with all this money though, it can't buy you the league championship. A battle should clear your mind. That was the plan after gambling, win or lose, right?

There's a bit of a selection here. You see a younger trainer hanging around the battle area, Pokeballs hanging by his belt. He looks eager for a fight. His vest proudly displays two badges.

Across the deck you see a a boy and girl about your age on a date looking. Both of them have Pokeballs at their belts as well. Maybe you can get a double battle going, or goad one of them into trying to impress the other.

A skinny man with nice suit and and a fluffy white dog Pokemon on a leash walks passes you. Maybe he'd want to fight? He looks rich and pampered.

"Vance, do you still have that pamphlet?"

Vance does the macarana over his pockets until he finds it. "Got it here. Why?"

Before you battle you want to check something. "Is there a Pokemon Center or something on board?"

He scans over it. "Well...let's see..." his fingers trace over the large list of amenities. "Here go we. They have a small one. It's basically just a station you drop your Pokemon off in, so there isn't a PC or anything, but they'll heal your Pokemon."

Perfect! You straighten your outfit and walk over to the battling area.

"Hey!" The kid says, eying the Pokeballs on your belt. Since you've been wearing your new clothes, you've noticed that people's eyes either venture there or your eyes, instead of elsewhere. "Are you a trainer?"

You've got six Pokemon, a badge, and you're on your way to to another gym. "Sure am," you say with a grin.

"Let's battle! Come on! How about it!" He really is eager. "How about a singles battle with two Pokemon each?"

You see he has four Pokeballs at his belt

"Alright, you've got yourself a match. My name is Kat, by the way."

"I'm Eddie." He shakes your hand. It's like you're looking at the exact opposite of Junior.

"So Eddie, I don't want take all your money," you taunt him playfully, "Is a small bet alright with you?" You quote him a small flat amount.

"Hmph, you obviously know I'm going to win, so it makes sense that you'd bed low. Fine by me." His smile lets you know that he's being playful right back.

Vance and Robin take a seat, Robin takes out her Eevee and pets him while she watches.

Just as you and Eddie take your places at the small battling area, the platform folds out. You look over to your right and see a ship crew member working the controls. Now that's fancy. There are four square sections, one sandy, one a shallow pool of water, one of them is covered in grass, and the last is just some sort of artificial material.

"Ready?" Eddie asks, as he reaches for a Pokeball.

You put your hand at your belt. "Ready!"

You toss out Zappy Dan. He's gotten a lot of experience in general, but a little more can't hurt. You're facing a Water gym soon after all. At the same time you do that, Eddie throws out his Pokemon.

"Go Leafeon!" It looks like a larger, grass version of Eevee. You look back at Robin and see her pointing the Leafeon out to her Eevee and saying something. That confirms it.

You're a little familiar with how Eevee moves. How different can this be?

Eddie looks concerned about the matchup, but only for a moment. It looks like he has a plan. "I guess you're going to Aquapolis too, huh," He yells out to you.

You look over to Eddie. "That's the plan, you?"

"Leafeon! Use Swords Dance!" His Pokemon does a strange dance in a circle. The faint outline of spinning swords surround it for a second. What was that, some sort of illusion?

As he's doing that, you give Dan his instructions. "Zappy Dan! Use Thunderwave!"

The wave of yellow energy strikes Leafeon.

"Smart move." Eddie compliments. "Yeah. Leafeon and I are going to get badge number three!"

You felt really proud of getting your first badge, but seeing this kid so confident about getting his third knocks you down a peg.

Zappy Dan hovers halfway over the sand and water squares. He seems apathetic to being in a battle.

"Razor Leaf!" Eddie's Leafeon is able to ignore the paralysis at least for now. It fires off a series of small leaves in rapid secession.

Even though you know Grass type moves aren't very effective against Steel types, the damage is clear. They leaves strike Zappy Dan hard and make audible 'tinks' each time they hit. He looks like he's in bad condition from just that one attack.

"Zappy Dan! Shrug it off. Hit it with Supersonic!" Dan floats back up and faces Leafeon. He lets out a terrible, high pitched metal sound. Leafeon looks confused.

If you're lucky, Dan might be able to take one more hit like that. It's a close call though. Leafeons must have amazing attack strength.

Eddie points dramatically. "Razor Leaf again Leafeon!"

To your relief, Leafeon looks unable to attack for now. It falls to the ground and hits it's face hard. It gets back up and tries to shake it off.

You press your advantage. "Sonic Boom while it's still confused!" Zappy Dan fires off a wave of sound that solidly connects. It hurt Leafeon more than you expected, but it's not exactly devastating. You'll need a couple more to take Leafeon out.

Leafeon is still confused, but you know know that can change in an instant.

"Leafeon! You need to snap out of it! You're strong, you can win this! Use Razor Leaf!" Eddie is really putting his all into believing in his Pokemon. It pays off. Leafeon shrugs off the confusion and fires off another volley of leaves. They hit with such force against Zappy Dan that you'd almost mistake it for a machine gun. Leaves ricochet and fly into the air. You're lucky it wasn't a critical hit.

You remember what Zappy Dan did to Prinplup. Even though it's not very effective against grass types, you're sure it'll hurt. "Zappy Dan! Thunderbolt! Give it all you've got!"

Zappy Dan spins his magnets and charges his attack. He unleashes a powerful bolt a lightning that rips through the air and strikes Leafeon. Leafeon is sent spiraling backwards and hits the ground. It struggles to get back up. Just as it rises to it's feet, it collapses.

Eddie returns Leafeon to it's Pokeball. "Good job Leafeon. I promise I'll work on a strategy for next time. You earned a good rest."

Zappy Dan barely floats. He sways from side to side. He occasionally scrapes against the ground before floating back up.

"Go, Clefairy!" A small, pink, fluffy Pokemon appears. It's pretty cute. You stay on your guard. You've learned not to judge Pokemon just by how they look.

It's a tough call, but you decide to swap out for Vlad, your Zubat. "Dan! Return for now. Go Vlad!"

Vlad does his signature quick loop as he exits his Pokeball.

As you're doing that, you hear Eddie issue his command at the same time. "Wake-Up Slap!"

Clefairy must have been going for Zappy Dan. It has to do a quick change of direction and leap into the air to slap Vlad. The slap connects, but it doesn't look like it did much.

"Hmph," Eddie says. "Just in time."

Clefairy jumps back to Eddies' side of the field. Vlad circles on your side.

Even though you haven't used him since the gym battle, Vlad has gotten a lot of real battle experience under his belt. You hope that Clefiary can't say the same.

At least you're consistent. "Vlad! Supersonic!" Vlad flies over Clefiary and let's out a terrible screech. It's not nearly has bad when you're not hungover.

"I should have seen that coming!" Eddie says. He's a little upset with himself, but he puts that aside. "Clefiary! Listen to my voice! Double Team!"

Clefiary manages to listen. It splits into several clones of itself. That has to be some sort of trick.

"Good luck finding the real one!" Eddie taunts. His tone of voice still makes it sound like it's in good nature. You think he's just trying to throw you off your game. You can't say it isn't working a little bit though. How are you going to guess the right one?

At least you can see they all look dizzy. There's some consolation.

Wait a second. You've got this! "Vlad! Get the one that's casting a shadow! Use Wing Attack!" You point to one of the Clefairys on the field. As soon as the words leave your mouth, you feel foolish. They're all leaving a shadow. Plus Vlad probably doesn't even know what that is!

To your surprise though, Vlad lets out a screech and dives at one of the Clefairys. He passes right through an illusion in is path and connects with the real one. You're not sure if it's because he doesn't 'see', if it was just lucky, or something else. Clefiary is knocked back. It recovers, but that must have hurt.

"Alright Clefairy, we've been practicing this move for the gym, but now's the time. Charge Beam!" It's not nearly as powerful looking as Zappy Dan's Thunderbolt, but you wouldn't tell that to Vlad. He screeches wildly as he's struck.

Clefiary looks hurt too. The difference in battle experience is probably the only thing keeping it even right now.

"The next one is going to be worse. Charge Beam makes Clefiary hit harder with special attacks the more we use it." Eddie is too excited from the battle to keep that information to himself. Not that it matters, another shock like that will take Vlad out of the fight. Then again, another wing attack might take out Clefairy. Vlad hits pretty hard for such a little guy, now that you think about it.

There are still some illusions on the field.

"Vlad! Wing Attack! Fly low!" You hope that helps him evade better. Vlad cruises at top speed just inches above the deck. He swings through several doubles before connecting with Clefairy. Wing Attack sends Clefairy spinning, but the pink fluffy Pokemon refuses to go down. Instead, it charges up another electric attack and prepares to fire.

Only it's having trouble aiming. Vlad is staying low to the ground and flying through all of the illusionary doubles. Clefairy is already confused, but trying to aim at a speedy little Zubat that's constantly vanishing through doubles of itself is too much. Clefairy spins again.

"Clefairy! Fire the Charge Beam! Don't let it escape!" Eddie urges. He knows it's now or never.

Clefairy continues trying to stay locked onto Vlad, but falls right into the pool as he shoots the Charge Beam. There's a flash of light that illuminates the water filled square. To it's credit, Clefairy crawls out of the pool before fainting on the ground.

Vlad does a victory loop and flies over to you. He lands on the ground by your feet.


	19. Thread 19

Vlad begins to glow.

"What's happening?" You ask Eddie. You hide the slight tremble in your voice. "What did that Charge Beam attack do to Vlad?"

"It's alright," Robin puts her hand on your shoulder. "He's evolving."

You're mind grasps at what she said for a moment before it makes sense. You know that Pokemon evolve into different forms, everyone knows that. You've just never actually seen it happen before. That's the kind of video they should show at school. Well, they probably did, you must have skipped that day.

"Oh." It's all you mutter. You're usually quicker than that, but you're too busy concentrating on watching Vlad to put too much thought into what comes out of your mouth.

Vlad is now engulfed in a pulsing light. Even in the bright daylight, it's hard on your eyes. After a few more pulses, the light bursts outward. A creature that's obviously Vlad, but not, looks up at you. It's mouth is huge, and it's tongue is sticking out.

"I can't believe someone like that beat me." You glance at Eddie. To his credit, he doesn't seem to have meant to say that out loud. He looks mortified and covers his mouth.

The creature that is Vlad is ecstatic. He looks incredibly proud of himself. He's still in rough shape from the battle. You embrace him in your arms and squeeze him closely. "Way to go Vlad! You were awesome. Now you're even stronger than before!"

Vlad licks you on the face. A single lick soaks your face. Vance grabs a nearby towel then tosses it to Robin, who hands it to you. Vlad is gross, but cute. You pet him on the head. "I bet those jaws of yours could fit around Eddies fat head. What do you think, Vlad?"

Vlad looks at Eddie and opens his mouth wide. He brings his mouth closed in a quick, chomping action. You notice darkness gather around his teeth just before his mouth closes.

"I'm so sorry!" Eddie bows in apology. "I do that sometimes. My mouth is quicker than my head." He extends his hand. "That really was a good battle." That actually sounded sincere.

You extend a hand. "Alright. No problem. That was a good battle." His handshake is surprisingly firm and confident, like your own. Maybe that means he's trying to fake it.

"Thanks!" He says in earnest. "I'm really sorry. The last thing I want to do is look like a jerk in front of a hottie." He covers his mouth. "I-umm...Sorry!" He apologizes to you, Robin, and Vance again before taking off.

Wait, which one of you was he talking about?

You decide to head down to the healing center that Vlad mentioned before. They take your Vlad and Zappy Dan and tell you that it will only be 15 minutes. They sure are efficient. It helps that there probably isn't a big wait.

"So what's next?" Vance asks. He pulls out a pamphlet about the ship services. Robin grabs two from a stand and hands you one.

This ship is pretty swanky. They offer specialized pampering for people and Pokemon* alike. There's a bar and lounge you can hang out in, although they still obey liquor laws, so that might be tricky. Sometime early in the next morning there will be an announcement for when we arrive in the Circle of Light, which is some sort of natural light show caused by the sun shining through the top of Mount Clarity to the East. After that, the ship will be making a stop along Harmony Island for a little beach getaway. There are small gift shops and ranger stations, but apparently no towns big enough to mention.

"*Offer not valid for Pokemon over a certain weight, size, or temperature." There's a picture of a red slug Pokemon beside a Wailord.

"Well, it feels like you have been following around with whatever I want for a while now. Why don't you decide?"

Robin and Vance look at each other. Neither of them expected to have to put forward any ideas. Robin speaks up first. "The spa looks like fun. I'd love to get a facial."

Surprisingly, it's Vance that giggles first. Robin turns to him. "What? What's so funny? You should get one too!"

Now you lose it. Robin is completely confused.

"Alright, alright. A massage does sound nice." Vance admits. "I mean, relaxation is good for building muscle too."

The nurse hands you your Pokemon. You make your way to the spa as Robin tries to argue the benefits of frequent facials for skincare. The lady at front desk talks about all the services they offer. Phrases like 'exfoliation' and 'gentle microcurrent lift' come up. It goes way over your head.

You start thinking about which service you actually want. There's a lot to choose from.

"All of them!" Vance interrupts your thoughts. "Let's do it all!" Robin silently agrees behind him. You've never really been pampered, maybe it'll be nice.

"Alright." You concede. The staff take your Pokemon and lead the three of you into a back room.

"Don't worry. We have a highly specialized staff. Pokemon of all types benefit from out services." You can see them releasing your Pokemon in another room and workers begin to take measurements and discuss everything from shampoos to nail filing.

Vance looks tense. "About Ursaring..."

"Don't worry." The young woman puts her hand on Vance's massive chest. "We can make even the biggest, fiercest beasts relax."

"First we'll want you to relax. Please take take off your clothes and lie down on the tables." The staff leave the room and room. There are towels and robes, and a a variety of curtains to change behind. Robin and Vance each make their way behind a curtain and begin changing.

"You two are so shy." You strip in the middle of the room. It's not like they can see you behind the curtain anyway. You cover yourself in a towel. "You can come out any time."

Vance comes out wearing a pink robe. "It was the only one in my size."

Robin appears right after. Her robe is way too big on her. She looks like a child wearing her parents clothes. She laughs at Vance "It really brings out your feminine side!" She must have caught on that you and Vance were teasing her, even if she doesn't know exactly what about.

Vance rolls his eyes. "Robin, tell me more about facials."

You join in. "Yes Robin. Please do. Do you get facials often?" You and Vance try to hide your snickering.

Robin puts her finger on her mouth. "I wish! If it were up to me, I'd get them every day!" It's really hard to keep it in now.

"Maybe you just need to be more forward. I'm sure if you let people know you wanted facials so badly, lots of guys would help you out." You look at Vance as you say that. He's letting out small snorts now, barely able to contain himself.

"What's so funny?" Robin looks at both of you. "What are you even-" Robin turns red as it finally sinks in. "You guys!" She punches Vance in the arm, them comes for you.

The staff members return. "I'm glad to see everyone is already relaxing. Please face down and we'll begin."

You lie down on the table. You can't help but feel exposed and vulnerable. The sound of the massuse readying the lotion is unnerving too. Maybe this was...oh. Ooohh~. This was a great idea.

You see Vance and Robin looking equally relaxed. The masseuse working on Vance has to put her entire body into it to get anywhere.

Robin's eyes are closed, but she asks you a question. "Guys, how are we going to pay for this?"

Now she asks.

"Ain't no thing, sugar-pie. Momma's got her girls covered." Vance takes that in good humour and let's out a relaxed laugh. Robin smiles at your mangled accent. "Just don't expect this to be a habit." You warn. Vance and Robin let out mumbled thanks as they enjoy their massage.

You melt. Is this what pampering really is? You always assumed it was just some waste of money that rich people did to make themselves feel important or something. This is divine.

The massage ends and the three of you are escorted into a different room with various chairs. You see most of your Pokemon are there. Devon is getting brushed and laying on the floor. Raistlin is getting a tail and ear massage. To your surprise, even Vance's Ursaring is relaxing as staff work on it's claws. Vance let's out a sigh of relief.

They give you pedicures, and manicures, and anti-aging wraps and a million other things you have no idea about but feel great.

One of the staff comes around with a bucket of wax "And now we'll just take care of the hair removal. Try to relax. Hold onto the sides of your beds if you need to grab onto anything."

Wait, hair removal? Why are Vance and Robin tensing up? How bad could it be? You feel warm wax pour over your body. This feels nice, they're just b-

RIP! Holy mother of-

RIP! Ow!

You're not sure how long it lasted, but your hear a voice. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Not at all" you lie. You body tingles, and not in the fun way. The breeze feels so cold.

The three of you get dressed and collect your Pokemon. You catch a real looker in the lobby. Wait, that's you. You're looking great! That last part may have been terrible, but you have to admit you look fantastic. You inspect all of your Pokemon and they're looking great too. Vlad's tongue is hard to dodge before you put it back in his Pokeball.

You shimmy in your clothes. You feel so smooth and clean. You've felt all sorts of ways before, sexy, trashy, confident, but never just plain pretty.

"So what's the plan now?" You see Robin wiggle a bit in her clothes too. Even Vance does it, even if he's trying to hide it.

"Food first." You announce. Everything else can wait. Robin and Vance both agree.

The buffet has every sort of food you can think of, which is impressive because you can think of a lot. All of it is great too. There's a steady stream of trays being replaced and passangers loading up their plates.

This s the life. You, Robin, and Vance sit down at a table. You catch Eddie sitting alone across the way.

"I feel so fantastic right now!" Robin stretches. Her clothes fit loosely and shift as her arms reach outwards.

"Me too." Says Vance. He's playing with Ursaring's Pokeball.

You out your hand ont he Pokeball too. "If you want to get closer with Ursaring, now is a pretty good time. She was looking relaxed back there."

"You think so?"

Robin pipes in. "Kat makes a good point. I'm sure we can find somewhere you can let her out."

Vance stands up. "Alright then! Let's do it!"

You didn't mean for right this second, but before you can protest, he drags the two of you off. You manage to grab your plate in the nick of time before you're led out of the dining area. You're pretty sure you're not supposed to take it with you, but you're too hungry and a little too spiteful to authoritative signs to care.

The three of you find a small secluded cargo room. Again, probably should be here. Oh well.

Vance let's out Ursaring. She looks around, but doesn't react. She's sniffing the air.

Vance moves closer to Ursaring. He looks back at you and Robin for guidance.

"Just do whatever feels natural. Use your best judgement."

Vance thinks for a minute, then grabs some food off of your plate. Ursaring starts paying attention.

"My food..." You say quietly. You console yourself with the fact that there's plenty more back at the buffet. You didn't realize how tired you were until after you stuffed yourself.

"Here Ursaring." Vance says. He tosses her a small bite. She chomps it out of the air, and looks at him expectently.

"Ursaring, sit." Ursaring moves towards him and tries to push her face into the food. Vance holds it back. "Ursaring, no! You'll get some after you sit."

Ursaring looks at you, like it's expecting you to change the circumstances or do something. You don't do anything.

"Ursaring, pay attention to ME." Vance says firmly. Ursaring looks at Vance, then the food. Finally, she sits down.

"Good!" He says. You doubt Ursaring would be in as good a mood if it wasn't given such a nice treatment before. "Now, I want you to shake a paw."

Ursaring looks indignant. "It's not an insult Ursaring. People shake hands to show respect." With that, Vance gets his paw. He shakes it respectfully, and feeds Ursaring the rest. After Ursaring finishes, she leans into Vance a little. He tries to scratch behind her ears, but she moves away. She doesn't growl or threaten him, but she's still standoffish.

"Alright Ursaring. That's enough for today." He returns her.

"So, what do you think?" Vance asks.

"You did good Vance. You don't need my approval though. You've got Ursarings."

Vance looks a little more confident.

The three of you walk back to the buffet. "I'm glad you didn't get mauled. It'd be a waste after getting all prettied up at the spa." You softly punch him in the arm. "But you stole my food, and that's unforgivable."

You open the door to the buffet again. There are a lot less people here now. You grab a few more items of food and shovel them onto your plate. Vance makes his way to the window, but before you and Robin follow, you make sure she sees you put a whole cherry in your mouth. After a few seconds, you produce a stem tied in a knot. "I'm very adamant about what I want to eat." The words are for Vance, but the meaning is for Robin. The color red creeps up her face until she looks like a tomato.

Vance is still looking out the window. "Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing!" Robin almost yells. "She didn't say anything!" Her voice cracks. She runs over to the windows to see what the commotion is about, and to change the subject.

"Hey. What's going on?"

You see a small group of people gathered around a Magikarp on deck.

You curse yourself for promising Robin you wouldn't steal except for certain circumstances. Chances like this don't just happen. Looking over to her, she's on her toes, bending over the window and looking out on the deck. Maybe it'll be worth it some day. Getting soft isn't all that bad you suppose.

You walk over to Vance and Robin. "Come on, let's go check it out."

As you get outside, you already here other people answering the question you were going to ask.

"It just jumped right up here. I've never seem them go so high. Usually they can only go a few feet."

As he says that, another Magikarp comes flopping onto the deck. It came from way up. People move back from where it landed. It flops.

"Jeez! The Magikarp in this lake can jump!" Someone remarks.

Some staff members push the Magikarp off the deck. They make small splashes as they hit the water.

You overhear them talking. "See? They've been doing that lately. They bounce way up into the air, and land on the deck. I've never seen that before. If they were any other Pokemon, I'd be worried about safety." That seems to be all they have to say on the subject as they walk back to what they were doing before. Their conversation changes to exchanging rumors about a captain that would invite young boys to his quarters for back rubs.

I don't think that's Splash," Robin says. "It looks like they're using a move called Bounce. Look at how high they're getting." They are jumping pretty high. Without a target on the deck, they just land on their sides or their faces. It doesn't seem to hurt them, but it's a loud noise when they land.

WHAM!

A few more flop back on deck. The ship staff that were walking away pretend not to notice. "Dude, just walk away. The captain will come along and give the job to somebody else."

You check your pokedex.

"Magikrap. The Get Back Flap Jack Give Your Dog a Paddy Wack Pokemon. Magikrap and known for their ability to be as worthless as the trainers that need to look them up. It's Splash attack is said to be all-powerful, and able to crack mountains in half."

Well that's just contradictory.

You get ready to throw out a Pokemon.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Robin asks.

"I'm going to battle them. They're just going to keep bouncing back up here if we push them off."

Robin thinks for a moment. "I guess that's a good point. I feel a bit bad for them though." Just as she says that, a Magikarp comes flopping down onto the table next to her. The drinks go flying and cover her and Vance. Robin looks down at her clothes soaked in various drinks. "I feel less bad."

"Go Eevee!"

Vance joins in. "Go Machop!"

"Go Raistlin!" You say as you release your Abra. He sits there without moving.

"Use Confusion!" To your surprise, Raistlin is able to comply without any issues. He really was well bred. He sends a Magikarp flying. It's not an excessive amount of force, but that Magikarp didn't stand a chance. It hits the ground, then goes flying off the edge.

Another one comes flying down. Robin's Eevee intercepts it before it can land on Raistlin. She gives you a thumbs up and continues battling. Vance's Machop doesn't seem to be into fighting them, and just tosses them off the ledge.

"Confusion again!" You command. Raistlin defeats another Magikarp. You keep issuing orders and he keeps nailing them. They're really starting to come down now. They come flying up from the water, and after several seconds they crash into the ship.

"Robin!" You yell over the sound of flopping fish. "Why don't you catch one?"

She doesn't look all that warm to the idea. You could probably convince her though. You know how to push her buttons. It might be a good thing for her.

"Pokeball! Go!" You toss out a Pokeball against a Magikarp that Raistlin was battling. It wiggles three times and clicks without ceremony. That was really easy! You go to collect your Pokeball when it vanishes.

"What just happened!" You're extremely alarmed. How could it just disappear like that? "Raistlin! Did you do that somehow?" No reaction.

Robin comes up to you. "You don't know? You can only carry six Pokemon at a time." That's right! You knew that part. Robin continues. "Once you get more than that, any new Pokemon you catch are sent into storage at the Pokemon center. That's the main reason they have at least one PC."

It's coming back to you now. You remember something like this being mentioned when you got your license. "But how does that even work?" The logistics behind it twist your brain in a knot.

Robin tries to shout an explanation over the sounds of Magikarp hitting the deck. "It's actually really simple!" She shouts. "All that needs to happen is-"

You just smile and nod. Even if every second word wasn't being drown out, you doubt you'd be able to follow along. She looks proud of herself for being able to explain it to you.

There's only one part you want to make clear. "So it's OK? I can get Magikarp at a Pokemon center?"

Robin nods. "Yes, but you'll have to exchange another Pokemon."

You'll have to think on that when the time comes. You and Robin go back to battling.

You're able to see Machop on the other side of the deck with Vance. Machop grabs two Magikarp and wields them like clubs, whacking away others. He's defeating them in groups, but they keep coming. They overwhelm him with numbers and the ability to use Bounce. As Machop is on his last legs, the two Magikarp he was using as clubs get loose. They bounce way up into the sky, and then come crashing down on the small Fighting type Pokemon, knocking him out.

Vance rushes over to Machop, barreling through hordes of Magikarp. "Machop! Return!". Machop vanishes in a flash of light before he's entirely buried beneath an ever increasing wave of flopping foes.

You see something else happening now too. The two Magikarp that defeated Machop begin to glow as they slide off the boat.

Robin sees it too. "Oh no..."

Two colossal beasts appear on the sides of the ship. Their wide mouths face up to the sky as they let out a mighty roar.

First things first. Knowledge is power. It's difficult to keep your wits about you, but somehow you manage and point your Pokedex. "Gyarodos. The Atrocious Pokémon. Rarely seen in the wild. Huge and vicious, it is capable of destroying entire cities in a rage." The fact that your Pokedex is taking this seriously is probably the most alarming part.

You throw out two Pokemon. "Zappy Dan! Trunks! I choose you!"

Robin looks terrified. "I-I-I-It's weak to electric moves." She manages to blurt that out, but she's not acting.

One of them strikes the ship with it's tail, knocking you and Robin to your feet momentarily.

Vance takes out his Stunky. "We need a plan!"

Right! First thing is to decide what Zappy Dan will do. You'll figure out Trunks' move in a second.

Weak to Electric huh? Then the answer is simple. You'll use Thunderbolt.

Vance is commanding his Pokemon. "Stunky! Use Poison Gas!" He's taking on the one to the right.

Your first order is quick and direct. "Zappy Dan! Use Thunderbolt!"

Dan unleashes a bolt of lightning. The air around him smells different for a second as his attack rips through the air. It strikes the Gyarodos on the left with amazing power. The Gyarodos roars in pain and frustration. It looks severely hurt, but now out.

You press the advantage. "Trunks! Follow up with a Horn Leech!"

Trunks rushes at the mighty beast. There's the slightest green tinge to his attack, but ultimately it looks like a moderately greener Tackle instead of the power Horn Leech you were hoping for. Gyarodos looks barely affected. It Thrashes into the ship. Again, you're knocked to your feet. Just as you get up, you feel a blast from the other side. The Gyarodos on the right lets loose what you can only describe as a shock wave made out of pure rage. Eevee is sent tumbling to the other side of the deck. He looks like he's hurt.

"Robin! Snap out of it!" You yell.

She shakes her head to try to break out of her stuper. "Eevee! I have to save Eevee!" She runs to the bow of the ship after her small, fluffy Pokemon. She's not thinking clearly.

You reach into your bag and grab the Thunderstone. If Robin evolves her Eevee, you'll have a major advantage.

You remember when you first met her, and how upset she was over losing Eevee. You remember how she depended on a perfect stranger like you to help her, and how she cried into your shirt. You recall the distrust Eevee had when it saw the Fire Stone.

You put the Thunderstone back. "Robin. Retrieve Eevee and get below decks. Take out Joltik for protection, OK?"

She focuses on your voice before coming to her senses. "O-OK!" She uses her Pokeball to get Eevee instead of running out there. Robin runs down to the lower deck along with several other passengers.

Vance looks like he's in trouble. He's throwing furniture at his Gyarodos in an effort to distract in while Stunky. Stunky leaps up and scratches Gyarodos with Fury Swipes which only seems to anger it. It focuses it's rage on Vance and moves in to bite him. Before it's able to land the move, you hear something.

"Clefairy! Charge Beam!" To your right you see Eddie. He stands tall against the flapping wind. "Sorry I'm late!"

Vance doesn't look back to see who helped him out. Instead he delivers a punch right into the Gyarodoses nose, further angering it. He looks OK for the immediate time being with Eddie helping out. You turn back to your target. It's now focused on Zappy Dan, and it looks very, very mad.

"Help Vance out!" You yell to Eddie.

"You got it!" He runs closer to Vance. They don't have time to exchange pleasentries.

Right! You'll use a Pokeball on it. That could work.

You reach into your bag, grab a Pokeball, and throw as hard as you can. "You're mine!"

The Gyarodos is struck and absorbed in a flash of light. The ball vanishes into the sea. Seconds later, Gyarodos emerges from the water. It blasts another wave of rage that stricks Zappy Dan. Dan bounces into a railing, but rights himself. That looks like it must have completely ignored his tough defense.

Trunks is ready to move again.

You glance over to Vance and Eddie quickly. They seem to be holding their own, if barely.

You decide to try the Pokeball again. You were just unlucky before. This time it will work for sure! You throw out another Pokeball.

"Come on you stubborn fish! Stay in there!"

Once again you're able to connect. The Gyarodos vanishes, but for an even shorter time. It's furious. The only bright side is that you've managed to keep it busy for a few more seconds.

You hear some sort of commotion coming from the the somewhere behind you.

"Make way! Make way! Captain coming through!"

Back up is on it's way. You still have time to act.

Maybe you used up all of your luck gambling. Maybe you're out. Maybe you shouldn't think philosophically when it's time for action.

One more time! "Pokeball Go!"


	20. Thread 20 parts 1 and 2

It's your last one. If this doesn't work, you'll have to battle it all the way down. Zappy Dan looks like that hit really took a lot out of him. Trunks wasn't able to use Leech Horn successfully, so you'll have to hope for the best here. "Pokeball! Go!"

You've got a good arm on you. The ball sails through the air. Even though Gyarados has some distance from the ship now, it's clearly going to land.

Gyarados sees it coming this time. His mouth opens wide and he swallows it. No way!

Despite that, the ball still connected. He vanishes! Yes! There's a small splash as the Pokeball hits the water. It sinks beneath the waves. You think you can still make out the ball, but it's hard to say if that's really it. Your eyes are validated as there's a small flash of light beneath the waves.

Gyarados does not reappear. You caught it! Since you have six Pokemon already, it must have gone into storage. You'll have to check out the PC the next time you're at a Pokemon center.

You turn your attention to Eddie and Vance. To your surprise you see Eddie attempting to catch the Gyarados that they're fighting. Eddies Pokeball connects, absorbs the Gyarados, and drops to the water. The Pokeball he threw is a different colour, and floats on the waters surface.

It wiggles once, then twice, then finally clicks.

"Yes!" Eddie announces. His excitement vanishes when he realizes the ball is still floating out on the water. "Does anybody have any Pokemon they can use to get that Lure Ball?"

"Vlad! Go get that ball!"

Since he evolved into a Golbat, he's even faster. Despite his extra size, he moves gracefully in the air and grabs the ball with his mouth in a swift motion before it's able to float away. As he skims close to the water, you see a tentacle reach out and try to grab him. He's already passed over it before it had a chance. He returns and drops it in front of Eddie.

Eddie dives to grab the ball before it hits the ground. "If that landed the wrong way, it could have been really bad." He wipes the spit off of his hand before offering it to you in a handshake. "Thanks. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Words just slip out sometimes."

Vlad gives your face a gigantic lick.

"Thanks," you say as you shake his hand. "It could have been a lot of trouble if you weren't there."

"No problem. I wasn't even worried about my safety. I was hoping I'd look really cool!" He covers his mouth again. Eddie has an honesty problem.

You look over to Vance. Vance is looking good for someone who was literally punching a Gyarados. He's congratulating his Stunky on a job well done. He sees you and Eddie and begins to walk over.

"Let me go!" You hear Robin's voice coming from inside one of the ship doors. You're just able to see her feet kicking in the air. As you run over to investigate, you almost bump into the ship's captain.

"Let her go." The captain commands. The two crew members holding her let go of her skinny arms. Her feet hit the ground.

The captain pushes passed you. He's carrying some sort of launching device. He casually aims it into the air and fires off a cylinder the size of a can of soda. It explodes in the air high above the ship. A cloud of gas trickles down. It smells familiar.

"Industrial strength Repel," he explains. He turns back to Robin and the two crew members who were holding her. You recognize them as the same ones who pretended not to see the Magikarp jump back on the deck. "Standard regulations dictate that Repel is to be used if any wild Pokemon are found onboard the ship."

One of them protests. "They were just Magikarp!"

The captains glare is intense. "Yes," he says, staring them both in the eyes. "They were." He emphasizes the last word and the two crew members flinch. His gaze then settles on Robin. "You. I'm sorry, but I'll need to detain you."

Did he just say he's going to detain Robin?

"Detain Robin? What for? Whatever you think she did, you're wrong."

Vance comes up from behind you.

The captain turns to the two of you. "She was breaking into security lockers to get this." He lifts up the Repel canister launcher. "While I'm personally impressed with her quick thinking, procedure dictates that since she vandalized ship property, she is to be detained until an investigation is completed and reviewed by a qualified officer. Only after an official investigation has been filed or we dock can an officer release her."

"And who is the 'qualified officer?'" Vance asks. Both you and he shift between Robin and the captain, just in case.

"My first officer and myself. The investigation and filing will take at least a couple hours. Assuming no new evidence is found, I don't see there being any problems. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I think we've ignored enough regulations today." He barks the last part at his two crew members. They flinch again. They have the same guilty look you used to get when you were much younger and not quite so used to getting chewed out for breaking the rules.

Robin speaks up. "I'll go. I don't want to make any trouble." She meekly stares at her feet.

"We just beat off the two Pokemon who were going to smash this boat to splinters, can you let her go in thanks for doing that?"

His face doesn't show any emotion. "I'm afraid not."

He's not budging on that front. Maybe you can try something else. "Mind if I stay with her?"

"I have to detain her because he vandalized ship property. I cannot allow you into the brig and I cannot just detain people for no reason."

"Fine! I'll 'vandalize ship property' too!" You push over a nearby glass. It bounces on the floor. "That was supposed to break."

He sighs. "Very well." He signals a crewman to take you along.

Vance steps forward. "I threw tables and chairs at that Gyarados. Take me too."

The captain puts his hands over his eyes. "Just detain them all until the investigation is complete." His body language makes him look annoyed, but his voice almost cracks. He turns away from everyone and looks out to the water. "Once the investigation is complete, I'd like to invite all of you to join me in my cabin for dinner." That seems like an odd request from someone who's arresting you and your friends. He doesn't wait for a response before he orders 4 other crew members to escort everyone to the brig.

One of the escorts, the one in charge, gives a respectful nod to the captain. "Captain Taylor, What about the Pokemon?"

"There are no regulations concerning that. I see no reason to separate them from their trainers." He puts his hands behind his back and walks off.

The captain walks out of sight and the other crewman takes charge. "You heard him, detain them all and take them to he brig!"

Eddie is taken too. He tries to protest. "I don't even know these people!" The guards debate over whether the captain meant to include Eddie too, but decide it's better to be safe than sorry. They did see you shaking hands.

The brig is a small room with several individual cells. They take your bags but let you keep your Pokeballs. You watch where they put your bags in the security room as well as you can as you're escorted into one large cell.

All but one of the crew members leaves. The remaining one walks into an adjacent security room that has a window looking into the holding cells. He's facing away as he watches the security cameras. You're separated by some sort of plexiglass, he (probably) can't hear you. There's a stranger in the other holding cell. He's sleeping on a bench, so you can't see his face.

Robin looks to you and Vance, and even Eddie. "You guys didn't have to do this. I don't think I'll be in trouble."

Before you answer, you ask her something. "Is Eevee OK?" You ask. She nods. Good.

With that out of the way, you shrug to respond to her other comment. "It was no big deal. Arrested for the first time! I'm so proud, my little Robin is growing up so fast! You've entered the criminal world now and are on the fast track to delinquency." You wave around the cell in a grand gesture. "You're my partner in crime! Vance is our legbreaker if he wants to join Team Vandalism." Vance puts on his best thug face.

There's a round of laughs. Robin takes an extra second to get the joke. For a moment it almost looked like she was considering her new criminal life.

"What about me?" Eddie says.

"You can be our first victim." You give him a wicked grin. More laughs and giggles follow. You turn back to Robin, "I couldn't let you out of my sight. Something's fishy here."

Eddie throws his hands up. "What's fishy is how I was roped into this. Don't get me wrong, that was a touching little moment back there and I appreciate you getting my Gyarados, but I want to be on the deck with the tanning girls instead of here."

You ignore him and lean in close to Robin. "Like I could pass up a chance to re-enact a scene from a women's prison movie."

Robin turns scarlet and changes the subject. "E-Eddie! Y-y-ou caught a Gyarados?"

Eddie beams. "Yeah! I don't know if I'll train it or release it into the ocean though."

Robin nods. "That's right. Magikarp usually swim downstream into the ocean long before they evolve. These ones knew Bounce, so they must have been able to grow and get experience a lot faster than normal." She thinks for a moment, then looks back at you. "What else did I miss?"

You tell her all about what happened.

"That's amazing!" Both Robin and the stranger say at once. He was listening the whole time, just pretending to be asleep.

"Excuse me." He says. He's tall, dark, and handsome. His black hair extends below his shoulders. "I y'am Antonio." He reaches for your hand through the bars to try to kiss your hand. His accent isn't one you've heard before, but you haven't heard many.

You pull your hand away before he can grab it and lay his lips on it.

"Eet ees simple. I snuck aboard to meet, how you say...beautiful, rich women."

So he's a harmless charmer and conman. You give him your hand. This might be interesting. "I'm Kat, this is Robin, Vance, and Eddie."

Vance makes his gigantic presence known. "Just because she won big at the poker table doesn't mean she's a good target, friend."

Oh for the love of- Way to go Vance! Just tell the stranger you have money. Usually it's Robin that lacks street smarts in situations like this. Wait, did he just imply you fit the other qualification for this guys targets? That time at the spa did leave you feeling a little pretty.

Antonio shrugs. Somehow it feels like his shrugging even carries an accent. "I mean nho disrespec', my large friend. I am simply helplessly honest in the presence of beauty."

Eddie rolls his eyes. You do the same, but make sure nobody catches you. This Antonio guy is shameless.

You put your hand on Vance's chest to make him back down. "It's OK Vance. You don't need to protect 'modesty'." Vance scratches behind the back of his neck at your teasing. "But thanks. For having my back up on the deck. It means a lot."

Vance gives a genuine smile. "No problem."

You turn to Eddie. "And I'm sorry you got dragged into this. You really saved the day up top. You don't deserve this." You leave out that nobody deserves to be here, except for maybe you for the many things you were never caught for, but you decide not to dwell. Antonio probably belongs here too, you realize. You're a little depressed that you thought of yourself as a criminal before you thought of him as one. You push that aside.

"So Antonio, tell us about how you got caught. Did a con go wrong?" That comes out in a tone that's a little more flirtatious than you intended.

"I..yes." He begins. "Thees may be a hlong tale." He pulls his bench up to the bars and takes a seat. He tells you all about how he snuck aboard to meet a specific woman. Jessilina. She's married to some rich tycoon. She supposedly has an item of incredible value in her safe, some sort of amazing Pokeball. He doesn't know the details, but it's incredibly valuable. She takes it everywhere with her. His con was simple, seduce her, get the combination, and take it. He got the combination from her after seducing her, but before he had a chance to be alone with the safe, her husband came into the suite. "I hhad to crawl out of thee window. I fell h'eento the sea." He gestures dramatically. His story telling is spellbinding. He's good. "I managed to get back onto the sheep before she left the...how do you say...

port! Yes, port! Unfortunately h'as I climbed back aboard, I whas seen. They brought me here, and I've been without the company of beautiful ladies ever seence." He winks at you and Robin.

It was actually a pretty amazing tale, truth be told. Very entertaining anyway. You admit to yourself that he does have a way with words. He's obviously never to be trusted, but he's harmless on the other side of those bars. Probably.

Eddie speaks up. "So wait, go back to the part about seducing her." You roll your eyes, but still listen. Even Vance seems memorized by Antonio's story.

As he goes into great detail about his seduction, you pull Robin aside. This is a good distraction.

You talk to her quietly. "So, about what happened with you on the deck..."

Robin looks down. "I'm so sorry. I feel terrible about that. I don't know what happened. I could have helped!" She's almost panicking again.

"It's OK, calm down. Nobody blames you." You put a hand on her shoulder.

"I used to have nightmares about Gyarados. I stayed up late one night and watched a horror movie when I was a kid. It's so stupid, I know. It was all I could think about up there. I feel like such an idiot. I could have helped!" Robin is really taking this hard.

"It was helpful! That was a good idea," you offer. "Fetching that repel cannon was probably the smartest anyone could have done, and it's not like being afraid of Gyarados is an irrational fear. They are dangerous creatures."

Robin waves gestures to the cell. "We wouldn't be in here if I didn't do that. I didn't even get into the locker. I'm not scared of other dangerous Pokemon. I was afraid because it was a Gyarados and I let a dumb movie get in my head."

"Some people are scared of bug Pokemon, some are scared of snake Pokemon, some are scared of heights, some of water. Being afraid of a massive Pokemon like Gyarados is nothing to be ashamed of. I think even my Pokedex was afraid." You didn't realize how weird that last line sounded until she laughed. It wasn't meant to be a joke, but you don't spoil that for her.

"Sorry," she says. "I know I'm being difficult. I'm just upset with myself. I feel a lot better though."

Robin smiles at you. You smile back.

You look back to the others. You better get back in there. Vance and Eddie probably can't handle themselves with a guy like this the way you can. Antionio keeps their attention with more stories.

He's like a Pokemon at the zoo. You know not to feed it or hop over the fence, but Vance, Eddie and Robin are probably like little kids not reading the warning signs.

You whisper in Robin's ear. "Don't believe anything Antonio or I say to each other. Don't let him convince you of anything." You smile to yourself. She was probably expecting you to tease her, since that's what you always do when you whisper something to her. That's the confidence boost you need to clash with Antonio.

"Now don't you fall for this mans stories, you two." You get up and walk over to Vance and Eddie. "A con-man that admits what he is, is either stupid, or playing a different angle." He tries to hide it, but you catch a glimpse of him reacting to what you said.

Antonio clutches his heart. "You wound me! Such sharp words from such a delicate flower." It looks to everyone else in the room that he's flirting with you, but you know he's calling you out as being like him. You're not like him, are you?

You walk in close and talk to him quietly between the bars. "These are good people 'Antonio'. Don't try to play them." You look him in the eyes. These are your people. Well, maybe not Eddie, but you probably owe him. "And don't think about trying anything with me either. Even if I still have money leftover from the spa and splurging, I won't fall for it."

He looks you up and down. He can see you aren't lying about the spa from your obviously treated hair, skin, nails, and everything else. A good lie always carries a nugget of truth. "I can see that. Do not worry. I h'would never try to con 'good people', as you say." His eyes keeps his eyes on you as he says that.

You step back and continue talking so the others can hear. "Is this Jessilina woman not a good person?" Maybe you can trap him and show everyone else they shouldn't trust him. They should know better anyway, but you don't want to take chances.

"In fact, she is not. Her and her husband kidnap Pokeh'mon."

"You mean they capture them," Eddie corrects.

"No! They do not 'capture' like you do. They set traps, use machines, and are very cruel. What I do, it is a service to Pokemon all over!" Antonio thumps his chest. It would be very convincing if you didn't know what he was.

"How do you know that?"

"It is a poor con artist that doesn't learn about his targets. The only thing I wanted to know, was the code to her safe. The only Pokemon they treat with dignity is her Skitty. It is her one saving grace. That and her love-making, of course." There's something odd about how he transitioned from talking about the safe and then her Pokemon. You make a mental note.

"And what makes you think stealing a Pokeball will stop, or even slow them?"

He smiles. He gestures for you to come in closer so he can tell you a secret. "It ees seemple. This h'is no regular Pokeball. Thees Pokeball can capture h'any Pokemon, in h'any condition, without fail."

"Let me guess, you want us to finish stealing it for you. You're offering some sort of reward, I assume?" Hmph, you're a step ahead of him for sure.

"You would not do eet out of the goodness of your heart?" He's calling you out again. "Yes. I could offer a re'hward. You may be h'able to steal it where I failed and save a helpless Pokemon from their cruel clutches, but I can sell it. I could pay handsomely, since you've spent all of your winnings." He smiles again.

You realize that the two of you have somehow gone back to talking in hushed tones. The others haven't been able to hear this. Did Antonio get you to do that, or was that just your instincts?

What he's been saying about them abusing Pokemon strikes a chord, but he probably intended for that. Of course you'd be interested in a Pokeball like that, even if you sure that on an intelectual level that it's probably completley made up. You know you can't just take his word on that.

"Sorry Antonio. I won't play your game. I can't trust you about Jessilina."

Antonio lets his frustration show, but only for a second. You take that as a good sign, he must have thought he had you. "I don't expect h'you too. But please, do your own research. Be open to reconseedering."

A guard enters the room. "Alright. The captain says you're free to go." Your friends line up at the cell door. The guard looks at Antonio, "Oh no, not you. You're staying right there, stowaway."

You, Vance, Robin, and Eddie are escorted to the public area of the ship. "The captain says dinner is in an hour." The guard heads back inside. The wind smells great. It smells like freedom.

Eddie begins to walk off. "I'm going to get ready. Will I see you guys be at he captains table?"

"We'll be there!" You say to Eddie. He waves and runs off.

You turn to the guard before he can completely disappear. "Hey wait!" You call out. He stops and turns around. "What do you know about someone named Jessilina? The uhh...stowaway was talking about her."

The guard turns up an eyebrow. "Oh? I'm surprised. He was caught climbing up the side of the ship. I thought he just wanted a free ride." He thinks about your question. "Jessilina... oh that's right. Mrs. Jameson. She's in one of the upscale suites. I think she might be at the dinner you're going to. Sometimes the VIP's do that. I have no idea why. Captain Taylor is a good captain, but not much for small talk." He shrugs and walks off.

Robin looks up at you. "Do you think Antonio was telling the truth, about her and her husband?"

"You forgot what I talk you already?" You tease her. "Antonio and 'the truth' have never met. Trust me. Vance, Robin, how about we get dressed up? We have a fancy dinner with our captain and jailor."

Vance pats you on the back. "Sounds great! Let's get ready!" The three of you make your way back to the cabin, where Vance and Robin start fishing through their clothes.

You realize you don't have any fancy clothes to wear.

Your eyes go over the two sets of clothes Robin is trying to decide on. You consider asking her, but the simple truth is that you'd probably be spilling out of anything she lends you. You think back on the bikini she let you wear before. That was pretty tight.

But you don't have to borrow anything to wear. You're loaded! "Robin! I need your help!" You grab her by the wrist and drag her to the fanciest clothing spot you can find on the ship. There aren't exactly a lot to choose from. You both rapidly go through the store in the short time you have until finally you find it. It's a small, simple, black dress. You quickly try it on. Oh yes, this will do nicely. Maybe it's because you're still seeing the effects of the spa, but you feel absolutely stunning.

It's a strange sensation.

You both run back to the Cabin and see Vance wearing a nice outfit. It comes together after he puts on the cape. Robin puts in the choker necklace you bought her. Both of them look as good as you feel.

The three of you make your way to the captains cabin, where you see Eddie waiting outside. He's cleaned up, but his clothes aren't nearly as fancy.

"Aww man, I'm going to look like a tool." He whines.

Vance takes off his cape and puts it on Eddie. He's already looking much better. Robin fixes up his hair a bit. There's just one final touch. He's got a terrible slouch.

You lean over and look him in the eyes. He takes an extra long few seconds for his eyes to meet yours though. "You're looking sharp Eddie. Really handsome."

He beams and stands up straight. He's looking a lot more confident now.

A server comes out of the dining room. "Right this way please." He ushers your group into the room, where you see Captain Taylor and several people you don't recognize.

The captain stands to great you. "Our guests of honor have arrived. Thank you all for coming."

Vance, Robin, and Eddie all take their seats. They seem nervious. You can't say you feel differently. Everyone's staring at your group.

"Thank you." You do what you think is probably a curtsy and take a seat. You have no idea if that's the right thing to do, but nobody gasps or drops a monocle or whatever fancy people do, so you figure you're fine.

The captain raises a glass. "A toast, to bravery and quick thinking!" A round of agreement follows, and everyone lifts a glass. "Where are my manners? Of course, introductions are in order." He goes around the table. There are about a dozen people here, including your friends. The captain names off the people around the table. The names that specifically stick out to you are Jim and Jessilina Jameson.

Servers appear out of nowhere and begin serving the first course. There are terrifying and strange foods. Vance gobbles it down. Eddie pokes his with a fork from different angles, expecting it to move.

Jessilina twirls her wine. "'Kat', that's an interesting name."

"It's the only one I've ever had." That's a gigantic lie, but it fits through your teeth. To her credit, you see that Robin doesn't outwardly react. "Well your name is lovely as well."

You didn't see it before because of the table, but Jessilina is feeding her Skitty. The small pink Pokemon meows as it's fed.

"What brings you aboard? Are you going to Aquapolis too, or are you going somewhere else?"

Jessilina stops feeding her Pokemon. "Oh, I hear Aquapolis is lovely this time of year. I may drop in."

That's a very nice non-answer. She's either hiding something, or just secretive in general.

"So Captain Taylor, have you ever seen Magikarp like that before?"

The captain finishes chewing his food and swallows. "No, not Magikarp. They seemed unusually strong and skilled. They probably got overconfident. In all my years, I've never seen that happen. Magikarp are usually very passive, and unable to leap so high." He takes another bite, chews, and swallows. "But how you handles those Gyarados though, that is commendable. I don't think we'd be having this conversation if it were your the four of you."

Robin looks at her feet. She doesn't feel like she did anything to help.

"We all pitched in. Eddie and I jumped in with our teams, Robin had the best and only plan out of all of us, and Vance punched a Gyarados in the face. In the face." You feel that part needs to be emphasized. "It was a team effort."

Eddie, Vance, and Robin all appreciate your words.

"It's a shame Robin was shown such gratitude. She was doing the job of the deckhands weren't." You smile and Robin. She blushes a little but smiles back. She's clearly uncomfortable with being the subject of the conversation.

Captain Taylor takes a sip of his drink. "Yes. It was. I hope you don't take that personally." He looks at Robin. "You all have my thanks. Truly."

Jessilina feeds her Skitty. "Whose my good little Skittles? You are!" She isn't paying much attention to your or your friends.

"I met an interesting man in the brig." You coyfully play with your food. "Tall, long black hair, very handsome. I think his name was Antonio."

Jessilina freezes.

"Do you get a lot of stowaways, captain?"

He sighs. "Absolutely not. It seems this has been a cursed journey from the start. I'd be very thankful if the rest of it is uneventful.

Jessilina starts feed Skittles again. "Jim dear, I think I left my purse in our room. Would you mind getting it?"

Jim looks confused. "But you have your purse."

"No no. My other one. Just go to the room and fetch it for me Darling." She bats her eyes at him, and he gets up and leaves. "So...this stowaway. Antonio, was it? Did he have anything else to say? I'm sure a rotten stowaway would have quite of lot of tall tales."

You hide your smile. So far Antonio's story is holding up. "Oh, he was rambling about some sort of Pokeball nonsense. I can't quite recall the details."

She doesn't react to that last part. At least not visibly.

You decide to drop it for now. You have the nagging feeling that maybe you're just acting out the whims of whatever seed Antonio planted. You figure doing anything more right now would be suspicious anyway. You have free food, a captain that owes you and your friends, and no motivation to screw that up.

You stuff your face in as lady-like a manner as you can before an idea hits you. "Captain, do you mind if I ask a favor?"

He cocks his eyebrow. "Of course not."

"Well, I don't want to put you in an awkward spot, but would you have a spare room? Robin, Vance, and I are sharing one right now, and I'm worried it will be a little cramped."

Captain Taylor laughs. "Well certainly. That's the least I could do. I can even promise it won't have bars." Vance, Robin, and Eddie chuckle at the unexpected joke. "There are two V.I.P. rooms available. The four of you are more than welcome to them."

That was easy. You enjoy the rest of your meal before things start to wind down. Well, you enjoy as much of it as you can. You can't identify most of it.

It's getting pretty late.


	21. Thread 21

"Thank you for a lovely evening." You excuse yourself. Those words just slipped out. It must be the atmosphere. Robin follows you.

"So. Umm. Do you like Pokemon? Eddie tries to make conversation with Vance as they make their way to their room.

You find a bellboy waiting at your door. "The captain said you're to receive the best service. I'd be happy to take your Pokemon to the healing center, get your bags from your old room, or anything else."

"Thanks, but I'll handle it." You're not a fan of handing your stuff or Pokemon over to a stranger. You're also a little weirded out at the thought of having someone paid to dote on you, so you politely dismiss him.

It takes a little longer, but you take care of your errands yourself and find Robin waiting in the room. She's already in her sleepwear, but she's not sleeping.

"Still upset over the Gyarados thing?"

She nods.

You sit beside her. "I've been thinking about that. How about you take the Gyarados or Magikarp I caught? Maybe you could get used to it. Which one would you want?" She opens her mouth to protest, but you stop her. "Don't worry. I insist. It wouldn't be fair for me to raise one and ignore the other. I want them both to have a good trainer."

Robin thinks for a good long while. "OK, I'll take Magikarp. We can get to know each other." You're not sure if that's her entire reasoning, but it's what she offers you. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. I promise I'll take good care of it."

You both turn on the TV in your fancy room. The movie is some sort of cult horror classic. Revenge of the Sea Monster. It's one of the cheesiest things you've ever seen in your life. There's a man in a terrible Gyarados suit stumbling around an obviously fake set. You stifle a giggle. You don't want to be insensitive, but it's just so cheesy. Robin sees you giggle and laughs herself. There's a corny line on the screen and you both burst into hysterics.

"I swear this was scarier when I was a kid." Robin can barely talk through her laughter. Both of you tearing up from laughing so hard.

She puts her head on your shoulder. "Thanks. You're a really good friend. You've done so much for me just today. I don't know what I'd do without you."

You put your arm around her shoulder. "And don't you forget it! You owe me big!" You use a funny voice to make sure she gets it's a joke.

"I'm sure I can think of something." Robin teases back. You're not sure what to make of that comment. You decide not to press it and the two of you cuddle up and relax while the movie plays. It's been a long day.

You struggle to wake up the next morning. You're not even sure when you went to sleep. Both of you ended up watching a marathon. Who knew there were so many sequels?

There's a note by the bed. "Went to breakfast. - Robin"

Well, you might as well join her. You get dressed and head out. You find Vance and Robin chatting it up at a table. They greet you when they see you. "Hey! Kat!" Robin waves you over.

As you pull up a seat, Vance finishes telling a joke. "So the barber says, 'that's just what 'Wee-dle!'" Robin bursts into laughter. It was probably funnier if you heard the first part.

Robin turns to you. "Oh yeah, they announced that we're heading right to the docks to check the ship." She puts her hands up. "Don't worry, we're not sinking. 'regulation.' We're all going to get some vouchers when we get off the ship though. It'll be a few hours yet. From there we'll be a little less than a day's walk from Aquapolis."

You guess you'll be heading to Aquapolis sooner than expected. "Where's Eddie?" You ask Vance between bites.

"Oh man. That kid is hilarious. We were up really late talking about..." He looks at you. "Talking about stuff. He said he wanted to do some training, so I think he's on the deck."

You're just about finished breakfast. You'll have to decide how to spend the next few hours.

You should probably learn a little more about where you're headed. "So what can we expect at the Aquapolis gym?"

Robin puts down her fork. "The leader's name is Brook. He wears a speedo at pretty much all times, even though it's a little chillier in Aquapolis. He think's he's a gift to all women, and that seeing him is a priveledge. He's rash and arrogant, but don't underestimate him. He'll adapt to his opponents style. If you're indecisive or stalling, he'll attack as hard as he can. If you attack head on, he'll try to lure you into a trap. His plans are never too complicated, but his adaptability throws people off. The gym itself has a platform in the center, but it's surrounded by all these shifting water machines hanging from the ceiling which makes it hard for you to take back your Pokemon half the time."

It doesn't sound like you'll have an easy time. "What about the area? Anything interesting?"

Vance chimes in. "The town is a short way up the mountain. There are caves a little way up the mountain that are known mostly for their Ice Pokemon."

Robin finishes a drink of orange juice. "That's right. But the fields below are full of fire Pokemon. My dad would come up here all the time."

That's good information. You spend the next few hours studying as much as you can. Between your pamphlets, Robin's Pokedex, and your own experience, you're able to get a lot of knowledge under your belt about Pokemon in general. Maybe it's because you're so relaxed from the ship, or maybe you're just getting used to studying, but the knowledge really sticks.

You've learned a lot more about Pokemon, moves, and habitats. You can identify more moves, Pokemon, and types by sight and effects.

There's an announcement over the intercom. "We'll be arriving in 15 minutes. There will be a shuttle for all passengers to Aquapolis, and gift certificates for many wonderful services in town. We thank you for choosing us."

Vance and Robin are nearby. "We better pack up to beat the crowds to the shuttles," Vance advises.

"Relax Vance. Let's just walk! A little excercise won't kill us."

He looks at you, and then to Robin. Specifically, he's looking at your legs. "OK. If you say so."

Gee, thanks Vance. You can walk. Robin's been here a lot too.

Robin speaks up. "Are you sure Kat? It can be a bit of a hike. I usually paid for a ride for the last leg."

"Yes, I'm sure! I'll be fine."

You take your time leaving the ship. There's no big rush. You see Eddie getting onto one of the shuttles too. He waves at you, but he's forced to enter because of the pushing from the line behind him.

Time to hit the road! You hike up your bag, make sure your shoes are tied and everythings secure, and you start putting one foot in front of the other. You look up the long winding road.

You and your friends set off. Vance and Robin start veering a little off-path. "You guys know already know what I want! Let's look for wild Pokemon!"

"We figured you wanted to do something like that," Vance teases.

You stick your tongue out at him. It hits you how much you and your friends have come to relax with each other. You've see Vance with his guard down a lot more lately. You like the real him a lot more than the person he sometimes pretends to be.

You keep an eye out to the trees ahead. It's hard, you find you have to keep them glued to the ground for a lot of the trickier leaps and climbs. You look ahead at Vance who's climbing up a small cliff. Just as he's reaching the top he falls backwards, landing on you and Robin.

"Oof. Is everyone alright?" He asks as he struggles to get off of you two. He slides comically down the uneven slope a few feet before he can right himself.

Robin stands up and brushes herself off. "I'm fine."

"Me too," You say. "Slick moves, Vance." You blow some grass out of your hair.

Vance scratches behind his head. "Sorry! There was a Pokemon up there. It was red with a shell. It was smoking. I just wasn't expecting it."

You know that one from studying! That sounds like a Torkoal!

The three of you climb the small ledge and peer over it. Just like you thought, there's a Torkoal. It's a Fire type! It stares at your party. You remember that you ran out of Pokeballs fighting Gyarados.

You put your had on Robin's back. "Go on. It's all you."

"Me? Oh yeah. OK." She's so cute when she's nervous.

Robin climbs all the way up and prepares a Pokeball. "Go Eevee!" Her small fluffy Eevee appears. It's looking spunky today. "Use Swift!"

Her strategy seems to be pretty simple. She's getting Eevee to try to keep it's distance and wear Torkoal down.

You take out a Pokeball. "Vlad! Come on out!"

Vlad appears and flies in his signature loop. He flies down to you and yo hold him in your arms. "Vlad, want you to watch Eevee closely. After this fight, we'll try using Swift, OK?"

Vlad lets out a small squeak of agreement. You let him go and he flies overhead to watch the battle from different angles.

"Good thinking." Vance compliments you.

You pat him on the back. "Good thinking is what Robin is doing. See how she has Eevee keep a distance? Torkoals have incredible defense, but she's using a special move." You're glad you studied. "As tough as you are Vance, you'll still have to face off against stronger opponents. A thousand small blows are just as good as one of your hits."

Vance gets lost in thought.

The battle goes on for a very long time. Torkoal finally faints after another round of Swift's connect. Eevee took a few embers, but is looking in good condition. "Good job Eevee!"

You and Vance congratulate her.

"Thanks! Torkoal is actually one of my favorites. I know all about them, so Eevee and I were able to take advantage of that."

You toss up a rock. "Vlad! Get it with Swift!" Vlad's tongue goes up in concentration as he tries to pull off the move. He manages to get it out, but only after the rock lands. Still, he did it. You give him a scratch on the head when he comes down.

"How come you didn't catch it?"

Robin looks at her feet. "My dad has one. She's really nice, and smart, and knows a lot of moves. We were actually pretty close." She pauses. "That's not the same one. I mean, that's obvious I know, but I don't want to just transfer all of my feelings from the one at my dad's gym to a new one. That Torkoal shouldn't have to deal with my expectations." She sees the look that you and Vance are giving her. She laughs nervously and puts up her hands. "Sorry! I'm fine. I'm just being nostalgic."

Trekking up the mountain is a lot harder than you thought. You do your best to keep Vance from seeing that though. You get to about the halfway point to Aquapolis. Your legs are turning into jello.

You stay off the beaten path. You hope you don't see any Pokemon that Robin's dad has, otherwise it might get weird again.

Almost on que, you spot another one. You stop Vance and Robin by putting your arms in their path and point to it silently. It's red, has a cute little nose, and whole bunch of tails. Wait, you studied, you should know this one. Vul...Vil...Val...packs? Valpacks? No, that doesn't sound right. You take out your Pokedex.

"Vileplex, the Fax Pokemon. Vulpetax are made almost entirely of tails. Each tail has a mind of it's own, and they vote on every action by committee."

That sounded even more off-base than usual.

"Vulpix," Robin whispers. "I've never seen one before in real life. It's pretty cute."

Vance nods his head. "Careful. I hear they use Will-O-Wisp a lot. I don't have any burn ointments on me."

You look to Vance and Robin. Neither of them are jumping at it. Fine by you. Your itching for a fight. You know who to use. "Destiny! Come on out!"

The small Horsea appears. She looks confident for half a second, before she wobbles on the uneven surface of the mountain. She adjusts and looks ready to fight.

You unzip your traveling clothes a bit to get comfortable. You love how adjustable they are. All that hiking is making you sweat. At least Robin and Vance are looking the same.

As you're thinking about that, Vulpix isn't wasting time. It's digging in it's feet and getting ready to fight.

"Destiny! Use Smokescreen!" Destiny fires off a quick cloud of smoke. It's just in time too. You see a red ball of light whip passed her and scorch a tree near your friends. Your visibility is down, but you can still see where Vulpix and Destiny are.

"Hit it with Bubble, Destiny!" Before Destiny is able to complete it, she's hit with a small purple blast. Destiny spins a little in place. You can tell she's confused from the look in her eyes.

Destiny fires off the Bubble though. Luckily enough, it actually connects. Vulpix reacts to each little bubble like it's a tiny floating explosion. The Vulpix let's out a cry before it steadies itself and looks directly at you. It must know you're calling the shots.

"Bubble again! Don't let up!" Destiny wobbles a bit before falling over. She slides down a few feet on the uneven terrain.

An Ember sails into the dirt and nails Destiny. It's a solid hit, but it didn't do that much damage.

Destiny's eyes spin as she tries to stand upright.

It's a tough choice, but you decide to use the strongest move in your arsenal. "Destiny! Snap out of it! Use Outrage!" Destiny shakes her head and jumps back into action. Another Ember whizzes by.

An aura of power gathers around Destiny before she shoots off at the Vulpix. The hit is devestating. Vulpix is knocked back and hits the ground. Destiny doesn't seem able to stop, She turns around for another pass. That's riht. Outrage lasts long enough for a Pokemon to do it two to three times. She can't help it.

Vulpix looks like she's going to collapse at any moment. It's struggling to stay on it's feet. You see conciousness slowly leave it's face.

"SorryI'llRepayYouLater" You shout as you reach right into Robin's pocket. If there's one thing you can rely on, it's that she always freezes up when you get handsy. You get the Pokeball and throw it as quickly as possible. It skims along Vulpix, but it still connects. The small red fox vanishes in a flash of light just as Destiny comes flying through the space it was occupying.

Oh no. Destiny is flying right this way. She's going to-

WHAM!

Vance catches her in mid air. For a split second you reflect on how cool the shock wave effect was with Vance's cape billowing in it. The force still sends the three of you tumbling backwards though. Vance manages to stay upwards until he hits his back on a tree. You and Robin fall back in opposite directions. You quickly confirm with your eyes that nobody took any serious injuries.

In the corner of your eye you see Vulpix pop out from the Pokeball.

Robin gets up. She's closest to Vulpix. Vance is holding onto Destiny, but she looks like she's going to go for one more attack.

You run to help Vance. Both of you brace as Destiny is about to fire off again.

Just in case this doesn't work though..."Robin!" You shout. "Use a PokebAHHHHHHHHH!" You and Vance hold onto Destiny but go flying into the air. The wind is knocked out of you as you both hit the ground, still being dragged by Destiny.

After a few more feet, the aura around Destiny begins to fade. You, Destiny and Vance slide to a stop. A few feet away, you hear a click.

Whatever you landed on is softer than rocks at least. It's still firm, and strong, and muscu-oh.

"Ow." Vance manages to get out. His chest pushes you up a little when he talks.

You slide off of him. "Sorry." You help him to his feet. His clothes are covered in mud, and even though he's a tough guy, there's a noticeable wince as he gets to his feet.

"Is everyone alright?" He asks.

Robin runs over to the two of you. "I am. Vulpix is too." She shows a Pokeball.

You start brushing yourself down. "I am."

Vance nods. He holds up Destiny. "You better retrieve her. She's looks confused." Destiny's eyes spin in circles. It's hard to think that just a few seconds ago she was an unstoppable beast.

You put Destiny back in the Pokeball.

Robin offers you the ball with Vulpix in it. "We can do a switch over at the Pokemon Center, or we can use our Pokedexs.

You nod to Robin, but don't commit to any action on that right now. You're pretty tempted to give it to her though.

"Vance, you really saved the day there." You realize how sore you are. He must feel even worse. "I really, really appreciate it."

Vance scratches behind his head. "It wasn't a big deal, really."

You you back at the path in the mud your bodies made, then to the mud, twigs, and pubbles stuck to him. "It was a big deal Vance. I literally can't think of any other person I've ever met who would have or could have done that."

Well look at that. Vance blushed!

"As your tutor, I'm letting you off the hook for paying for meals."

He looks at you. "That's fine. A deal is a deal."

You punch him in the arm playfully. "Remember the other condition? You have to do everything I say? I'm saying you're not paying for meals anymore."

Vance smiles at you. Robin fiddles with her fingers, but she looks happy.

It's getting late, but you finally see Aquapolis. The lights are easily visible in the fading daylight. You zip up your outfit. The air has gotten chilly fast.

The Pokemon center is crowded. There's a flood of people coming in and out. There's even a large line to take a number, but you get it, and you're finally able to turn in Destiny. The others were healed last night and haven't seen any action since, so you hold onto them.

"Sorry about the wait," the nurse says, "It might be up to four hours. It's the busy season." You can see that. This place is packed. Four hours is a long time. You glance around the center to see what they have.

There's a shop, which makes sense. You see that everything here is free for trainers except rooms. Good, that means there are showers and food here you can take advantage of. Before that though, there's been something nagging at you.

"Robin," You begin, "I know you explained what happened to my extra Pokemon, but I don't want them to linger. What do trainers do when they have more than six?"

Robin puts on that face she gets when she's thinking. "It's not uncommon for trainers to store them in the PC, but you shouldn't leave them there without intending to train them. They're in stasis, but I still think it's cruel." She throws her arms up. "Not that I'm saying you'd do that! Some trainers do though. I was thinking of asking Franklin back at the Kindleville Museum if he wouldn't mind taking care of any Pokemon I catch over my first six. I'm not really planning on doing that, but sometimes things happen."

That's right. Franklin Maple. He seemed like a decent guy. You also think about Professor Fir back in Novum. Maybe he'd look after your Pokemon too. Professors do that sometimes, right?

You look back at Robin. You can tell she's a little concerned you're getting more Pokemon than you can raise. At least, that's what you think she might be getting at.


	22. Thread 22 Parts 1 and 2

You decide to call Professor Fir. He probably has no idea you stole his wallet or some Pokeballs. Besides, this is what some professors do, right?

"Well hello there!" Professor Fir's smiling face greets you. "How is your journey going so far? I hope that old Pokedex is as helpful to you as it was to me." There's some movers and construction people in the background.

"Oh, sorry about all the noise. My most recent grant application went through and I'm getting the last of my replacement equipment set up." He turns around to wave someone with a box in the right direction. "There's been some very strange disruptions to the natural learning progress of Pokemon in this region. It's fascinating." He stops himself. "But I shouldn't bore you with that."

"The Pokedex has been acting...weird," you tell him. "I think there's something wrong with it."

He's not paying much attention. His eyes keep looking off screen to the workers and he makes the occasional hand motions on where things should go. "Hmm? Oh. It may be old, but it shouldn't be giving you any trouble. If you'd like, you can mail it over and I can take a look."

You'll have to think about that. There are other things you want to mention too. "I've seen that happening. What you said about wild Pokemon knowing moves they don't naturally." You want to be helpful. "There was a bunch of Bouncing Magikarp attacked the ship. Two of them evolved into Gyarados and I caught one."

Professir Fir turns from the construction workers back to you. "Fascinating! Bounce, you say? Pokemon certainly have been known to learn some moves like that without help on rare occasions, but to have an entire school of Magikarp do that is something else."

You continue to tell him about Destiny, Corsola, and other Pokemon. "...and the reason I called is that I've already caught more than six Pokemon and I was hoping maybe you'd be willing to possibly look after some of them? Please?" You put on your best pouty face.

"I see. This is very eye opening news." He thinks for a moment. "I certainly don't mind. Part of my grant is going to fencing and maintaining a large area for Pokemon staying here to relax in. Would you be willing to let me inspect some of the Pokemon you've caught? I'd love to run a few tests."

Your eyes narrow. "What kind of tests?"

He laughs. "Oh, nothing intrusive, I can promise that. Mostly just regular checkups combined with hooking them up to a few machines that scan heart rates and things of that nature. I promise they won't be hurt or even uncomfortable." He puts his hand up in a swearing motion.

You're not the most trusting person, but he hasn't given you any reason to think he'd do something funny.

"That sounds good to me!"

You and the Professor make the arrangements to transfer your extra Pokemon over to him. Any newly caught Pokemon will now go directly to Professor Fir's lab.

Robin comes up behind you. "Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in, but I heard you were taking extra Pokemon? Would it be OK if-"

Professor Fir cuts her off. "Yes, of course! The more the merrier." He laughs. "Normally finding Pokemon is the hardest part of these things."

There was something else you wanted to ask about. "Oh yeah. Have you heard anything about the stolen Pokemon?"

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. Please, if you hear anything about a Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle that seems unusual to you, let me know right away. Don't be overzealous though, there are many trainers in this region that would have any one of those. That makes the investigation extra difficult."

You make a mental note about those Pokemon.

"Now," Starts plugging something into his computer, "which Pokemon will you be sending me for now?"

You mull over your options. It's a hard decision.

"I'll send you Gyarados for now."

The professor starts plugging away at his machine again. "Excellent. I'll make the arrangements."

Robin leans in over your shoulder. "Professor, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Professor Fir looks at her. "Oh pshh!" He dismisses her fears. "I'm not one of the youngest professors in the region for nothing." He gives a cocky smile. "Watch."

You see a flash of light off screen before Fir takes a Pokeball into view. "Come on out!"

He throws the Pokeball just barely in view. You can see Gyarados take form in a burst of light as construction workers drop what they're doing.

Gyarados roars, then does nothing. It's waiting to see what happens. Several construction workers cower or freeze.

Professor Fir steps into view. "Come here girl." Girl, huh?

He starts climbing boxes to get closer to her face. Gyarados growls as he approaches. "Now now, we can't have any of that." You notice Fir maintains eye contact as he approaches, but otherwise seems relaxed. He climbs high enough to face it. "Don't worry girl. You're safe here, and respected."

It roars again in his face. He doesn't move despite a healthy splattering of slobber.

"That's a mighty roar you have there." He scratches it behind the ears or fins or whatever those are. "Good girl."

Gyarados gently leans into the scratch and breaks eye contact. Fir looks over to the computer. "Did you catch that?" He can't hide his cocky smile. "Does she have a nickname?"

"Leviathan!" You announce. That sounds like a good name to you.

Vance comes up now too. "So what's the plan with the other Pokemon you caught?"

That's right! There's your newly caught Vulpix too. Robin handed it over to the Pokemon Center to get healed, but you still need to decide what to do with it.

"Well, I was thinking about that." You turn to Robin. "Technically it's your Pokemon. It was your ball that caught it."

Robin looks confused. "Are you offering it to me?"

You nod your head. "The way I see it, it's not really mine to offer. It's yours to keep."

She thinks about it. There's a long awkward pause. "Are you sure? You're already giving me Magikarp."

"Yes!" You pat her on the back. Why is she being so weird about this?

She still hesitates. She looks you in the eye "Really, why are you offering me Vulpix?" There's a suspicion in her eyes that seems foreign to you. You don't remember another time she's actually questioned anyone's motives.

You're surprised at how much her gaze is affecting you. You're pretty used to suspicious stares and glances, but from Robin it's different.

"It reminds me of you," you blurt out. She cocks an eyebrow. Her silence is maddening. "I think I might have my hands full with my current roster. I don't want to stretch too thin. Plus it was your Pokeball."

It's like she's waiting for a particular answer or something. It's only been a few seconds she she asked but it feels like a lifetime.

"Well, you said you liked Vulpix, right? And I don't really want to leave any of my other pokemon right now, so I thought you might like it." Her gaze softens. "I already have a full team. I'm worried that I already have too many pokemon to properly care for more. I feel bad about Leviathan already, and I'll know you love your Pokemon. I just thought and will take good care of Vulpix."

Robin breaks her stare. "I'm sorry. Of course I'll take care of Vulpix." She looks at her feet. "Sorry. It's just I thought you were going to say because it's a fire type and my dad..." She looks up at you and Vance. "Sorry. It's not important. Thank you. I'll take good care of it." Robin takes the initiative and hugs you, pulling Vance in too.

All three of you are quickly reminded of how much mud you're covered in from catching Vulpix. It'll still be a long while before all of your Pokemon are healed. You all laugh as your arms stick to each others backs a bit.

First things first. You're filthy. You smirk. "Make it up to me and wash my hair again." You grab Robin by the arm and lead her to the showers. "Vance! Take a shower too. Meet us back here in a bit."

Vance gives you wave as you vanish into the showers. He looks like he was trying to figure something out. He's probably still not sure about your relationship with Robin. Then again, you aren't entirely sure either. You start taking off your clothes like they're on fire.

You disrobe way quicker than Robin. She's still only half-done. You help her with her shirt.

Robin laughs. "I can manage. I'm not a child you know." She's just joking around, which is nice to hear.

"You're someone's child," you blurt out. Why did you say that? You wanted to ask about her dad, but that came out really dumb. "I mean, with your dad and all, how are you feeling about that?" Ugh.

Robin pauses. "I don't know. I still worry about him. Is that weird?" She's undressing slowly now. It's not really sexy in this context. "He's been...like that for a long time, but I've never pushed back so hard. It probably took him by surprise. There's a lot of quirks to running that gym he's probably forgetton." Robin takes off her pants. "Thinking about collecting fire types just brought back how mad I am at him. Sorry." Looks a little better for having gotten that off her shoulders.

On that note... You slip behind her. "You're your own person. Vance and I understand that, just like you understand Eevee." Robin relaxes. Perfect, you under her bra in a switch motion and drag her to the showers.

"I'll do your hair first." You don't give her a chance to protest as you take her into a closed stall. You sink your hands into her read hair and gently massage her scalp. "Feel nice?"

"Uh huh." She leans into your hands.

"Good. It's in here deep. Your back is filthy too." It's really not that bad, but that isn't convenient. Your hands start washing her back. You run one finger up the small of her back, and the other keeps massaging her scalp.

"Are-is that necessary?" Robin manages to get out.

"You're right, I should keep washing you." Your hands reach around to her front. She freezes up. "I have to. You're so dirty~."

"I-I-oh..." Even from behind you can see her blush. Your hands run over her the front of her body. One goes up her abdomen to her chest, the other sinks down below her belly button. Then lower. "We shouldn't..." She trails off.

You finish her sentence. "We shouldn't sleep in the Pokemon center. You're right. Let's get a hotel." You turn around and push your hair behind your back. "My turn!~" Teasing is fun, but you don't feel it's the right time or place to push things. For now.

You can't see her face, but you can imagine it. It takes an extra long time before she starts on your hair, but she really works it. Her hands start out unsure, even shaking a bit, but she calms down and starts really getting in there. She washes your back, but to your dissapointment doesn't mimic what you did to her.

You dry off and head back to the Pokemon Center, where Vance is waiting.

"So what are we going to do for the night?" He asks. It's already dark outside. You won't have time to accomplish much.

"We're going to get a hotel." You answer back.

Robin is still blushing, and doesn't contribute anything.

You pick up a dozen Pokeballs and hand one to Robin. You pick up a few other items that might be useful. Ice Heals and Burn Heals are surprisingly cheap. You grab a few Awakenings, and a bottle of Persim Berry Jam that's supposed to help with confused Pokemon.

You arrive at a hotel that advertises it's hotsprings. The clerk tells you that all the rooms are booked up. You go next store and get the same story. Uh oh. The next one after that the desk person doesn't even look up, they just point to a No Vacancy sign.

Just as you're about to give up hope you find one on the edge of town.

A shady looking old man waves you inside. "Customers! Yes! Come come! Thank you."

Vance looks at him. "Does that mean you have rooms available?"

"Yes yes! Right this way." He starts to take your bags. The price on the signs look really low. "Hot spring and everything. Come come! Follow me." He leads the three of you to a gorgious room. There's a gigantic bed, large couch, TV, and even a fenced area outside with a massive hot private hot spring. You turn to the old man to ask what the catch is, but he's already heading out the door as he tosses your keycards onto the couch. "Have fun!"

Vance looks around the room. "That was wierd."

You decide you'll check around the place.

"Something isn't right," You say to Vance and Robin.

Robin looks at you. "What's up?" You remind yourself that her crippling naivite is also what lets you get away with so much. "That old man, didn't you think he was wierd?"

Robin thinks on it. "Yeah, now that you mention it."

Vance rolls his eyes behind Robin's jokingly. "You're right. Let's look around."

The three of you start skulking around the room. You look around for anything suspicious. So far so good.

"You guys keep looking around here. I'm going to check outside." Robin and Vance nod as they inspect the room.

There's just something about this place that seems off. You decide to inspect the closet next to your room. You check down the hall at both ends to make sure nobody sees you. You haven't seen any sign of anyone else here.

Slowly, without creaking, you open the closet door. You see everything you'd expect in a supply closet. Mops, brooms, paper towels, various cleaners.

Maybe you're just being paranoid. You lean againsy a mop.

Click.

Or maybe you're right on the money. The closet has a false wall! You gently push it open. There's the old man!

He's setting up a camera at a tiny hole in the wall. All around his tiny room there are strange symbols on sticker papers. They like occult runes or something. The old man realizes you're behind him and turns around. He fumbles to cover his camera equipment before giving up. You've obviously seen it.

"I can explain!"

"VANCE! ROBIN!" You yell, keeping your eyes on the old man. "You better have a good story." You threaten. You keep a hand on one of your Pokeballs.

Vance and Robin arrive in no time.

Vance mouths the words you were just thinking, "What the-"

"Hell!" Robin yells. She tries to cover up, even though she's fully clothed.

"Please! I really can explain." The old man leans back against the wall. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Oh!" put your hands up. "That's not a camera, these aren't peepholes?" You saunter around. You put on a big show to make sure you're taking charge of the situation. "So you weren't spying?"

The old man answers. "Well.. No, All of that is true." Before you can start again, he continues. "But I swear I wasn't spying on You!"

You cock an eyebrow.

"At you specifically."

Robin and Vance look disgusted. Now Vance is trying to cover his already clothed body.

"None of you." The old man corrects again. "I'm not specifically spying on any people at the hotel!" He sighs. "It just doesn't strike unless there are people. I know what this looks like, but I'm really trying to find a ghost."

You're not buying it. "Oh, that's convenient. A Ghost Pokemon."

"No! Not a Pokemon. Just a ghost. I've had every sort of Ghost Pokemon expert, laid traps specifically for Ghost Pokemon, use everything I know. It's a real, genuine Ghost! I swear!"

Even more convenient. There's literally no proof and no possible evidence. Robin looks terrified. Oh for the love of- Is she buying that? At least Vance is still looking skeptical.

"I have proof. I've caught it on tape!" He offers you his camera. You grab it and you, Vance and Robin watch the playback. "This is from last week."

You see a video of a couple in the hot spring alone. They start making out. "Not looking like a convincing case so far," you utter.

"Please! Keep watching." he pleads. Your eyes dart between him and the screen. You make sure he doesn't try anything.

"OK!" Vance answers a little too eagerly. You roll your eyes. Robin peeks through her hand.

The video shows a dark blur go by and startle the couple. It shoots passed them and into the bed. The man gets up and slowly approaches, but the sheets rise up and chase him. The couple runs in panic, and the blur vanishes off screen before the camera cuts out.

"The camera was frozen solid when I found it." The old man says.

"So it interupted your regular spying?" You're still suspicious.

"No no! I only did that after. It's chased off so many customers. I was desperate. Please, I delete all the ones that don't show the ghost."

You think over your options. You're really tempted to leave, but the allure of what's going on here is strong. You look at Robin and Vance. They seem to believe him. That's not saying much though.

"Alright old man. I'll help. For a price."

"Thanks you! If you could solve my problem, I'd pay any price." He leaves himself open. You decide to wait until after you figure it out to name one. He's obviously desperate.

Vance and Robin look both scared and eager. Robin steps up. She's clearly scared, but she's also the type to want to know everything. "Can you tell us anything about it's patterns?"

"Well," the old man begins. It seems to enjoy bothering people in the hot spring. It steals small objects, and it's never actualy hurt anyone. The few people that stick arond to talk to me say that they felt a chill in it's presence."

What's the worst that could happen? You decide to volunteer. "I'll be bait. I mean, it only attacks when there are people, right?"

"Well, yes..." He begins.

"He said couples." Robin corrects. Oh, that poor naive girl. You grab her by the arm.

"So you're volunteering too?" You ask. You don't wait for an answer. "Thanks! Let's get things ready."

Robin starts to protest. You cut her off. "Vance. I need you here to keep an eye on things." You gesture at the old man, but don't let the old man see you do it. Vance nods. "If anything fishy happens, I'm depending on you."

Vance cracks his knuckles. "I guess that leaves you and I together." The old man faintly smiles.

You and Robin change into bathing suits. But not after putting towels over every wall in the bathroom. You take them back down after you finish. You go around the room and make sure you don't leave anything out that's overly valuable. You put your Pokeballs in a cooler slip your trainer ID into your top. It's not comfortable, but it's safe.

You start to ease yourself into the hot tub, and Robin does the same. Robin is looking very afraid.

Before you get all the way in, you grab a Pokeball and let out Raistlin. "I have a job for you. I'm going to hide you" You pick up and put him in the corner, you use a few pillows to give him a nice hiding spot in a corner, inside the suite. "If you see anything, I want you to try to hold it in place, OK?" Raistlin doesn't react, but that doesn't mean anything. He never fails to follow orders.

You slip back into the tub, and grab a Pokeball to hold underwater. It's your Houndour, Devon.

The star in the open sky are beautiful. The steam slowly floats up to be with them. You can see why places like this are so popular. The hot water, cool night air, and view are all very relaxing.

"What's your plan for the gym?' You ask Robin as you put your arm over her shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to get her mind off of why you're hear.

Robin puts her finger on her mouth. "Joltik is going to be important, but-" Whoosh! Something slips by. Robin becomes tense. Whatever it was, it got into the room and just around the corner. Damnit, you weren't paying attention.

You can't see it in the room, it got around a corner. For all you know Raistlin might be hold it still, or something else might be happening.

"Riastlin! Do you have it? Can you drag it outside?"

There's no sound of a struggle and no response. You run to the room, keeping Devon in his ball for now.

Robin stays behind. "I'll wait here." Her voice trembles a bit. She doesn't seem paralyzed like with Gyarados though. She reaches into her bag.

You enter the room and look around. Raistlin is still sitting in his corner. You're not sure if he didn't do anything, or if it didn't work.

You catch something moving under the covers. You can hear Vance in the hall running to your room.

You sneak over to the bed. Carefully. Quietly. You get right next to it. The lump in the bed shifts.

You make your move! You dive on the bed. As quick as you can, you grab two corners of the best and try to grab the others. The lump struggles against you, but you have it trapped. Yes! It's not going anywhere.

Vance bursts into the room and sees you holding whatever is struggling in the blanket. He moves to help out, but before he clears the distance the thing bursts out. No, not burst, slashes it's way out. Everything moves in slow motion for a second as you clearly see a Pokemon fly out. You see Raistlin's eyes glow on the other side of the room, but nothing happens.

Before you can act, it speeds into the bathroom. It's fast. You hear it crashing around in there. Vance runs to your side, arms ready.

"Vance! Wait!" You hold him back. He stops and looks at you as you take out your flute. "Just trust me," you answer the question on his face.

You haven't used it for awhile, but it hasn't let you down. You straighten your back, put it to your lips, and play.

The only noise is the sound of your playing and the Pokemon rummaging in the bathroom. Your playing stays steady, and the rummaging slows down. Vance very carefully eases the door open. You keep playing as you both look inside.

You see the dark Pokemon is still looking around the room and collecting random small objects, but it's a lot slower now, and more reserved. It looks back at the two of you, and then keeps gathering items. It's taking the time to inspect the things it's collecting. It doesn't pay you any more attention.

Vance inches towards it. He glances to you to see if you have a better plan. You gesture him on to continue. As he's creeping closer to you, you pull out your Pokedex.

"Sneezer. The Atchoo Pokemon. Gesundheit."

That wasn't very helpful.

Vance pounces! He struggles with it but seems generally in control. He threatens him with it's claws, but he doesn't let that scare him. "I've dealt with bigger," he says. That's true, Ursaring does have some giant claws. These look razor sharp though.

It dives at him, but he catches it in mid air and slams it to the ground. It bounces up and tries to get passed him, but Vance catches it by the foot, then puts it in a hold that keeps it from moving it's claws. At least, that's what it looked like. It slips out and they begin fighting again. You only catch half of it from the doorway, but there crashes and curses tell you most of the story. Finally, you panting against the wall, with the Sneezer or whatever it's called barely keeping itself up.

"Got," Vance huffs, "Got a spare Pokeball?" He leans against the wall. "It's tougher than it looks."

You toss him a ball.

"Thanks," he says as he throws it at the weak Pokemon. The ball hits the floor and wiggles, then clicks. Vance leans over to pick it up.

The owner comes running into the room, followed by Robin from the other side. "You did it! It was a Pokemon after all! Of course! No wonder the traps for it didn't work, they were all for Ghost Pokemon."

"Is everyone alright?" Robin runs over to Vance to check him out.

"I'm fine," Vance assures her. He looks a little roughed up, but not nearly as bad as after his scrap with Ursaring. "It was more slippery than strong."

"I can't thank you enough." The old man pats Vance on the back, and looks to you and Robin. "You've done me a great service."

Now is probably a good time to ask about that reward.

"Then I guess that means we can stay for free."

The old man laughs. "Of course! Any time you wish. You may have just saved my business!"

That went better than expected. "How about the camcorder too?"

He doesn't know what to make of that request. "Well, I don't see why not I suppose. I won't be needing it anymore." He begins to get really excited. "I need to tell people that it's safe again. The 'haunting' was just a single Pokemon. Not even a Ghost Pokemon either. Almost cute, even."

Vance looks at the Pokeball in his hand.

"What are you going to do with it?" Robin asks.

"I don't know. I just didn't want it to get away. I guess we'll just release it somewhere away from here."

"I think you should train it."

Vance lifts his head. "How come?"

"You can learn from each other. It gave you a hard time, and you saw how fast it moved."

Vance thinks. "That makes sense. It's human shaped too." He tosses the ball into the air a few times. "OK, I'll train it!"

You and Robin congratulate him on his new catch. That's his fourth Pokemon.


	23. Thread 23

"Well, I'll leave you be. It's late and I'm sure you're tired." For the first time, you actually pay attention to his name tag. Mr. O'Telier. "If you ever stop by any of these establishments, tell them I sent you. They'll treat you well. If you'll excuse me, I need to see about getting a refund on my Pokemon Pest Removal service." He stops as your group gives him a look. "Oh, it's a humane service. They just relocate Pokemon. I'm just calling because they only swept for Ghost types and nothing else." With that, he walks off to the front desk.

You yawn. "I think sleep is a good idea." The others nod, and you all get ready for bed.

As you're crawling into bed, you hear Vance and Robin still talking. "So Robin, are you in for tomorrow?"

"Sure! It'll probably be fun."

You can't help yourself. What are they doing together tomorrow? You keep your voice calm and casual. "What are you guys talking about?"

Vance turns to you. "Oh, sorry. Robin and I were talking before. I found a bunch of flyers asking for temporary workers from all the different hotels and spas. Robin and I were going to spend tomorrow working to get a little extra money."

"We didn't think you'd be interested, since you've got a lot of money right now," Robin adds. "You're welcome to join us, if you want. A lot of trainers take odd jobs between gyms. I thought we could spend another day here in Aquapolis, then take on the gym tomorrow night or early the next day."

"Thanks, but I'm good. I want to get in a lot of training tomorrow." You try to think of the best way to say the next part, but it's hard. You're not used to paying for other people, and you haven't had a lot of people in your life extend you many favors. "I..umm... Look, if you guys need it, I don't mind paying your way. You're...You're my friends. It's what they do, right?"

In the darkness you can still see them smirk. No, not smirking, smiling. There's no scheming or ulterior motives. You'd be able to read them if there were. "Well, come on, say something," you push. They're just looking at each other and you and smiling and it's creeping you out.

They both move in to hug you. "Thanks," Vance says. "That means a lot."

Robin squeezes you tight. "I know that was hard," she whispers in your ear. Oh sure, NOW she an pick up on these things.

You've had enough of being on this side of the emotional flow. "OK, OK, don't get weird on me. So we're settled then right? I'll cover you guys."

Robin and Vance both exchange a look. "We don't want to take advantage of that if we don't have to. We'll still work tomorrow since it's a good chance at some quick money."

"But we'll keep that in mind if it comes up." Robin adds.

With that settled, the three of you get to sleep.

The next morning you wake up to the sound of Mr. O'Telier knocking. He's delivered a great breakfast. "Again, thank you all so much. I'm already getting some reservations." He leaves the cart and excuses himself.

Robin and Vance down their meals quickly before heading off to get some work. That just leaves you and the day alone. You'll have a lot of time to get training done.

You'll have to decide who to train first. You'll have all day, so you can spend time with each Pokemon.

You'll start with Trunks. He's a grass type, and there's the upcoming water gym challenge, so it only makes sense. He's eager to learn, but doesn't have much real experience yet.

"Trunks! Come on out!"

You have lots of time. You figure you can finish up Horn Leech, and maybe even get some other training in. You got some studying in the other day, so you're feeling good about starting another move.

You find a small space with some trees and rocks just on the edge of town. It occurs to you that this might get messy.

"Alright Trunks! Let's finish up that Horn Leech training." Trunks keeps trying it on a nearby tree you point out. Every time he tries it, he looks to you for approval. As cute as he is, his neediness is a little tiring. He's a quick learner though, and he seems to be pulling the move off flawlessly after a short while. He seems more confident and powerful in his attacking in general too.

"Great job, Trunks!" You pat him on the head. He snuggles up to you. "Now let's focus on Will-O-Wisp."

He immediately takes a stance and prepares for more training. You base a lot of what you tell him from what you saw the Vulpix doing. He seems to be able to pull it off on a very still, close, and non-living target like a rock, but you're not sure how reliable it'll be in an actual battle. Still, that's a lot of progress. "Alright Trunks. Good job. You should rest up for now." Trunks mews cutely. You give him one last pat before returning him.

"Devon! Come on out!"

The dark Houndour appears, ready as always. He licks you a few times, then sits and starts scratching his ear.

"Alright DevAHBLAGHHGG!" Devon tackles you and starts licking your face.

"Devon! Stop!" You giggle. If only you had that problem with Robin. "Devon! Down boy!" He finally calms down and sits, awaiting your commands. He's really affectionate outside of battles.

You hold out a stick and order him to bite it. He chomps it, but it's clearly just a regular bite and not the actual move. "Devon, I need you to focus and use the move." He seems confused, and instead starts sniffing at your pockets. You reach in to find what he's after, and pull out your flute.

"Ah, this is what you want, right boy?" He wags his tail and barks. "I'll play for you if you can use Bite, how's that sound?"

Devon barks, then starts attacking the stick. He bites down on it, and blows it away with an Ember. "Keep trying," you encourage. He repeats the same thing with a new stick, but he explodes that one with Dark Pulse. You play him a quick tune as a consolation for getting closer. Finally, after a few more sticks get destroyed, he seems to get the hang of it. It looks just like when Vlad showed you his Bite.

"Good boy Devon!" You play him a tune and he keeps demonstrating his Bite. After a few minutes, you decide to give him a rest. "Great work buddy, now take it easy for awhile. I'll play some more for you later."

With Devon returned, you toss out Zappy Dan. He'll probably be in your team for the gym. He's already gotten a little improvement in his Defense and Special Attack, and has a powerful electric move.

This might take some clever thinking. You look around for the right environment. Perfect! You see a small waterfall. That's exactly what you wanted.

"Alright Dan, I want you to float under that waterfall while we train." You figure you can hit two Pidgeys with one stone. Zappy Dan casually floats under the water, and takes his time to spin to face you. He struggles a little under the flowing water, but seems unconcerned.

You spend some time trying to learn Mirror Shot. Dan doesn't seem to be learning that well. He manages to fire off small bursts of light, but nothing that seems focused enough to be more than a slightly annoyance. You think that maybe you're asking too much with him under the waterfall.

"Alright, come on out. Let's try something else for now. I want to see you rippling with energy! Let's see you explode!"

Dan gives you a look that you could almost say was sarcastic.

"Come on. Don't you want to spend the rest of the day relaxing? I read that Explosion makes you go to sleep after." You realize that if Vance heard you say that, it'd be facials with Robin all over again.

That seems to be the right motivation for Dan. He gathers energy around him. From the shining light, you almost thing he's sing Mirror Shot or maybe even evolving for a second.

Wait, should you be this close?

BOOM! A massive shockwave throws you back. You land in the water and make a big splash. As you slowly get up and take a breath, you see Zappy Dan laying on the ground. You run over only to find him gently sleeping in his small, newly made crater. "Good job Dan. You covered a lot of ground today." You return him to his ball. You make a mental note to reward him later when he wakes up.

Zappy Dan slightly improved his Defense, Special Defence and Special Attack. He's learned Explosion and made a small amount of headway on Mirror Shot.

"Vlad! It's your turn!" The speedy Golbat does a loop before circling around you.

Confusion has always been your ally. Even before you were a trainer, you always knew how to make the best of a confusing situation. Usually it was to get your hand in someone's pockets, but it still counts. Since you started your journey, confusion has only been better to you.

"Vlad! Let's work on Confuse Ray today!" He circles around you in delight. You have an idea! Trunks knows this move. He can demonstrate. You take out Trunks.

"Trunks, I want you to demonstrate Confuse Ray for Vlad. Don't be shy." Trunks snuggles up to you, then takes on a stance. You point him at a tree. "Aim there!"

Trunks shoots a small, glowing ball of purple light. It sways through the air before connecting against the tree, giving off no noticeable effect.

"Now Vlad! You try!" Vlad gives it a few shots. Sometimes he fires off Swift or Leech Life by accident. He seems to have a little trouble at first, but he quickly looks like he got it. "Good job! Both of you."

Vlad is on a roll. You decide to push him a bit. "Alright Vlad, let's focus on Poison Fang now." You have to search around for more suitable sticks. You doubt a rock would be good for this excercise. You start tossing sticks into the air, with Vlad catching them in his mouth and biting down. He transitions slowly from Bite to Poison Fang with each try. After awhile, you notice that some of this sticks end up with a purple, sickly colour after he's done with them. You think he has it! Probably! You'd want to test it out, but you're not sure what the best way to do that is.

You can test out Confuse Ray though! "Vlad, come on down here." Vlad flies down and you catch him. "Vlad, I'm going to need you to use confuse Ray on me this one time." He looks confused himself.

"Don't worry, Vlad, I bought special Persim Berry jam, it cures confusion." You open the jar and let him see it. "I'll have the jar open and ready. You just need to use it on me once, then I'll take some jam and I'll be fine."

You're not 100% sure about the plan, but he seems to apprecaite your willingness to get down and dirty, so you press on. "Alright? Ready?" He flies up into the air and does another loop, you ready the jar.

"Confuse Ray!"

Vlad fires a small ball of purple light, then the world gets...weird. The colors are all wrong. You're spinning around in circles, even though you know you're standing still. Come on, concentrate! You had a plan, right? The jam! Stay focused! You have it in your left hand. No wait, the right hand. Whatever hand it is, you put it to your face. Ow! You must have come in to fast. You try that again, slowly. There's something in your mouth, it's a little bitter, and goopy.

The world comes into focus. Vlad is flying overhead in truimph. You can clearly see it's only been a few seconds, but it felt like it could have easily been hours. Vlad's Confuse Ray is potent!

"Good work Vlad! I think that'll work really well." Vlad screeches in happiness before returning.

"Destiny! I choose you!"

You sit on a log and pick up Destiny. You pet her while you're still getting your bearings a little. She cuddles in close since you're still all wet from being knocked in the water.

"Let's learn Scald today." Destiny jumps off your lap and prepares for training. "Eager, are we?" She lets out a few bubbles as she squeels in a happy affirmative. "This move will be a lot like Water Gun. The biggest difference is that the water needs to be hot. Really, really hot."

Destiny doesn't seem to get the concept at first. It takes a lot of tries. You have her hitting rock after rock with it, but it just seems like she's doing Water Gun over and over.

"Destiny, come here." She leaps up back next to you. You bring your hands in to your mouth, and slowly breath hot air on them, then touch Destiny with them. "See what I'm doing? It's more like that. Let the heat out slowly, then blast away." You have no idea if that really applies to her, but you've had a great run with these things so far.

You get her to practice it on some more rocks. She's slower, calmer now, and the effect shows. You put your hand on the rock she was working on and it's hot!

"Yes! Good work! You did it!" Destiny looks a little tired from all the effort. "Rest up for now. I'm really proud of you."

You return her to her ball, then take out Raistlin. He got a lot of experience against a horde of Magikarp recently, and he's been really quick and exact on your training.

Energy Ball would really help you out.

"Raistlin, we're going to get you in touch with nature today. Let's learn Energy Ball." He cocks his head a little in reaction. That's a good sign.

"This isn't something a lot of people will expect from you," you explain. You grab some grass and wad it into a ball. "I want you to just levitate this grass for now, and really get to feel it."

Raistlin pushes the grass ball around with his mind. You put your hand on his back. "Good job, now lets work that Energy Ball. Try to gather some grass energy." You have no idea what you're saying. Since he might be able to read your mind though, you do your best to convince yourself that you do. Slowly and steadily, Raistlin is able to gather and shoot small, ineffective balls of green energy. You think about how proud you are of him. He's a fast learner too, like Trunks. He doesn't outwardly react to much, but you're glad you got him. You wonder what he'll be like when he evolves. He's probably getting closer.

The small Abra levitates a little and fires off a much stronger ball of energy. Then another. It impacts a nearby rock, blowing it to bits.

"Wow! You did it!" You run up and hug him. "You're amazing!" You smother him. You do your best to think the words as hard as you can when you say them. He might communicate more that way. "Take a break, you've earned it." You return him to his ball, and walk back to the Pokemon center. There's still a little time left, and you have one more Pokemon that needs your attention.

You call him Professor Fir. He's happy to exchange Leviathan for another Pokemon for awhile. He offers to heal Zappy Dan, since he's out from learning Explosion anyway. You make the exchange, then head out somewhere secluded.

You prepare to through out Leviathan, your Gyarados.

You can't be a Pokemon trainer and be afraid of your own Pokemon. You need to be able to trust each other. You toss out her Pokeball.

In a massive flash of light, your Gyarados appears. It looks down at you expectently. There's no outward hostility, but no obedience or sign of respect either.

"Hi girl," you muster your bravery. It's a lot different when you're face to face with her. "I'm Kat. We'll be partners from now on." You remember to maintain eye contact. Leviathan's eyes follow yours, which you take as a good sign. She still doesn't react. You scratch behind her ears a little, but to do so means you have to lean in close, almost against her face. You can feel her breath on your chest. You lean in a little closer, and play around until you find the right spot.

She lets out a happy sound. Your fingers can always make a girl happy. She breaks eye contact and you keep scratching her. "You like that?" She leans into your hands some more. "We're going to be good friends." You stop scratching her and she resumes looking at you. A lot of tension has been taken out of it though. She looks like she enjoyed that, but there's something else about her face that's bothering you. It's like she just expected you to do that for her and she still feels like she's in charge.

"Leviathan, why don't you show me some of your moves?" She looks at you. You almost sense pride and cockiness from her expression.

She looks at a nearby tree and roars. The sound is intense, but the visual is where the real action is. A shockwave of rage leaves her mouth and hits the small tree, splitting it in half. You saw that move before from the ship. It's Dragon Rage! As the top half starts tipping over, she moves in and crushes it with a Bite. She leaps high into the air, then comes crashing down on the stump with Bounce. Splinters fly everywhere, forcing you to cover your face for a moment.

When you take your arms down, she's looking at you, waiting for a reaction. It's hard to say if she's demanding praise from you, her minion, looking for genuine feedback, asserting her own dominance through a show of power, or something else. Pokemon can be harder to read than people sometimes.

Her gaze bores into you. She's waiting.

"Well done!" You keep your voice from being overly enthusiastic, but make sure she can hear the genuine praise. "Not bad at all. I think we'll be a good team. We'll have to really see how you do against live opponents." You shoot her a smirk and lean on her tail. She looks a surprised you're not in total fear and awe of her power. You may have slightly wounded her pride just a bit. That's probably a good thing though, she has plenty to spare.

You're still not sure how she'll be in an actual battle, but she seems nice enough to relax with for now.

It's getting late and you're getting hungry. You should probably meet up with Robin and Vance soon.

You probably have time to find a wild Pokemon somewhere out here. You return Leviathan for now and start looking around. You've run into a lot of interesting Pokemon recently. You can't wait to see what you find next.

There's a distance buzzing sound coming from somewhere passed the clearing. You carefully climb over the various stumps and rocks until you find the source. It's a yellow flying insect Pokemon, with two stingers for hands. You know this one, Beedrill, but just for the sake of it, you take out your Pokedex.

"Kneedrill, the Spelling B Pokemon. Beedrill are genetically engineered by the antidote industry in a conspiracy to sell more product. They enjoy giving trainers hugs."

You've heard crazier ideas. You were hoping for another Ice or Fire type though. Just as your reflecting on the best way to deal with it, it spots you. Uh oh, it does not look friendly. It flies right at you.

This seems like as good a chance to test Leviathan in battle as any.

You toss up her Pokeball. "Leviathan, I choose you!"

The massive blue monster of a Pokemon appears before you. She watches with casual interest as the Beedrill comes whizzing.

You barely dodge it. It flies by your face, then turns around for another pass. Leviathan is not taking the initiative. Or even doing much at all. Is that a good sign, or bad?

"Leviathan! Use Bite!"

The Beedrill comes flying in fast. Leviathan faces it, and waits.

"Good thinking. Let it get close."

Beedrill closes the distance, passed Leviathan and directly at you. You dodge just in time.

"Leviathan! Use Bite! Hurry!" Beedrill comes chasing after you again. Instead of a quick pass, it slows down so it can follow. It chases you around the gigantic Gyarados, rotating which stinger to strike at you with.

You trip over a rock. You turn around quickly to see the Beedrill just about to strike. Oh no, not poison again.

You pick up the same rock you tripped over with one hand and start reaching for a Pokeball with the other. With surprising speed, the stinger comes in.

It stops right before your face. The solid buzzing sound is quickly drowned out as Leviathan as the Beedrills other stinger locked in her mouth. Her mouth is the familiar black that comes with using Bite. With a quick effortless flick of her head, she tosses the Beedrill into a tree. It's buzz changes frequency when it connects, then once again when it ricochets into another tree outside of view.

Leviathan looks down at you on the ground.

"You hard of hearing or something? I'd expect more from such a 'fierce' looking Pokemon." She's surprised you're willing to yell at her, but she doesn't look offended. Yet. You're not some wussy trainer afraid someone or something bigger than yourself. You'd never have lasted in your life if you were. "I guess your all bark no bite." She breaks eye contact and lets out a snort of contempt, but it's not threatening. She probably didn't expect you to get in her face. You return her.

It's almost time to meet up with Vance and Robin. You return her and head back to the Pokemon center. For the second time, you enter the doors covered in mud.

Zappy Dan should be healed by now. Before You'll need to decide which Pokemon to leave with Professor Fir when you head out.

"Professor, do you mind looking after Destiny for now? She knew Outrage when I caught her."

Fir gives you a thumbs up. "Mind? Not at all! Your Magnemi- Err, Zappy Dan, is ready to come back." On cue, Dan floats up to the monitor. He spins his magnets nonchallently and wanders off screen. "He's not phased by much. He slept right in the middle of all this construction. I ran some tests just to make sure he was alright. He's fine, just very relaxed." Fir comments.

You prepare Destiny to make sure she understands this is only temporary. She bubbles in the affirmative. You make the exchange and say goodbye to the Professor.

Just as you walk outside of the Pokemon center, you catch Robin and Vance.

You wave them down. "Hey guys! How was work?"

Vance grins. "Profitable. There was a convention for successful single mothers in town. They tip like crazy!" You scan Vance's face to see if he has an inkling as to why. He just grins boyishly.

"It was great!" Robin says. "Not even half the work I had to do at the gym!" She looks down at her feet. "I got big tips too, until I slapped a customer."

You probably didn't hear that right. "You, Robin, slapped a customer?"

She blushes a little, but looks a little proud. "Yeah! He grabbed my..." Robin leans in close, "he grabbed my butt." You try not to laugh as she utters such a word. "I didn't even think about it. I turned around and slapped him. I got fired on the spot!"

You can see the same rebellious look on her face she gets when she wants to impress you. You must be rubbing off on her.

"I had no idea you could get so rough!" You pat her on the shoulder.

You want to go back there and rip them a new one, but you don't want to rob her of this. She could use a little toughening up. "Our little Robin got all violent and confrontational on someone. I'm so proud!" You tease her a bit too. She blushes at the praise. Vance looks relieved you're not planning on burning the place down.

Not today. You're mad, but you're happy to see Robin isn't too much of a victim when backed into a corner without you there. "You're an official bad girl now." Her rebellious smile grows just a little.

You, Robin, and Vance start heading back to the hotel. With Vance taking the lead, you walk right up behind Robin. You don't want to surprise her too badly and get a red mark on your own face.

"So," You whisper into her ear as you wak behind her, your hands on her lower back. "Is that the standing motto now? If I have a handful, do you promise to get rough with me too?" Your hands slide down and give her butt a good squeeze. Firm.

Robin blushes and runs up forward a bit. She blushes, but doesn't look offended. She runs passed Vance. He turns around to ask what's going on, but you cut him off.

"So what's the plan? Are we just sleeping back at the hotel right now, or heading right for the gym?"

Vance forgets his original topic. "Well, I'm a little tired, but we could see if the gym is still open.

Robin nods. "I want to challenge it tomorrow morning, but I'll come cheer you on if you want to go now."

"Tomorrow makes sense." You continue on to the hotel. You want to get your second badge, but today was a long day. You and your friends could use some rest and relaxation. Your stomach growls. And dinner.

Mr. O'Telier greets you. "There are you! Come come!" He ushers you into the hotel, but down a different room. "I've upgrade your suite."

"Wow, that's really generous of you," Vance comments as the three of you are practically pushed down the hall.

"Not at all, especially not for you," he gestures to Robin. "First you solve my pest problem, the you slap the owner of of the pest control company that didn't do their job!" Robin looks extremely embarrassed that word got around so quickly. Mr. O'Telier opens the door to the room. It's massive and luxurious, with three separate bedrooms within the suite, and a hot tub in the middle. "Dinner is on the house. I insist!" There's a table in the center of the room with fancy dishes waiting and even some wine bottles.

Robin begins to open her mouth. She's probably going to say something about the wine.

"Thank you so much!" You cut her off. Vance gives you a sideways glance, but it's not disapproving. "This is amazing."

"Nonsense! I'm already getting plenty of calls for bookings. on that note, I have to run. Please don't hesitate to call room service for anything." He leaves the room.

The three of you put down your things and sit down to dinner. There's way too much for three people, but the three of you are starving and everyone looks eager for that challenge.

You tell Robin and Vance about Leviathan. Robin winces at every detail. Her confidence is shaken a bit at hearing your Gyarados wasn't entirely obedient. Vance is very sympathetic though. "It sounds a lot better than how things started with me and Ursaring. Levi probably she needs time. You're a natural at this stuff, don't worry about it so much."

While that's not specifically helpful, it is nice to hear. "I was thinking of using her at the gym," you say before stuffing another bite in your mouth.

"I wouldn't do that," says Robin. Her tone isn't judgemental, but concerned. "Brook may be a playboy, and act like an airhead surfer sometimes, but he knows how to battle, and how to deal with brute force. He's an expert in water Pokemon too." You know Robin isn't the type to be so assertive without good reason, but she also might just be worried about an uncontrollable Gyarados. She does have a phobia.

You don't argue with her. "What would you do, if you were me?"

Robin plays with her food, then downs her entire glass of wine. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure what I'll do. He has a few Pokemon he might use for novice challengers, Wooper, Buizel, Wartortle and either Slowpoke or Slowking. It's usually three on three." Novice challengers. Getting one badge suddenly doesn't feel like such an accomplishment.

You shift the focus. "Vance, maybe you should challenge the gym too."

He adjusts his chair. "I don't know. Sato was one thing, but I don't want to abuse the system. Next thing you know I'd end up fighting my sister."

Just the subject you wanted to land on. "What do you mean?"

Vance sighs. "Everyone always wants to hear about her." Oh boy, touchy subject. "What's to say? She's the Clairborough gym leader. A genius, a prodigy, accomplished." He downs his glass. "Everything I'm not." He pours another glass, then fills up yours and Robin's. He gives you a smile. "Sorry. It's a sibling rivalry thing."

Between him and Robin, you're starting to feel like you have the least issues. Families must really screw a person up.

"You never mentioned she was the Psychic gym leader," Robin tentatively probes. Not the type you expected.

"Vance continues eating. "You didn't ask." He tries to keep his voice from being snippy. She's just asking and he knows it.

You stop eating and give him your full attention. "Come on Vance, you're too hard on yourself. You're a pretty amazing guy. You're built like a truck, girls can't keep their hands off of you," you put your hand on his arm before you realize what you're doing, "you can fight most Pokemon, you know about medicine," you nod towards your arm where you were stung before, "You're a solid guy Vance." He smiles up at you. He's a bit like you in that he has to fight to stay vulnerable, instead of fighting to mask his feelings.

"Thanks," it's all he manages to say. You can see his eyes well up just the tiniest bit, and he moves to hid it before you or Robin can see. It's too late for you, but Robin hasn't notice yet.

You think fast. "Plus, you're a good flotation device!" With that, you shove him back in his chair towards the hot tub. He laughs as he crawls out enough to pull you in. You grab Robin and the three of up tumble in.

Robin spurts water of out her mouth. "Our clothes are soaked!" She's still laughing.


End file.
